SELECT REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RECORDINGS:

BACH CHRISTMAS ORATORIO

This is simply one of the great Christmas Oratorio recordings, an ideal combination of soloists, chorus, orchestra, and conductor joining in what could be described as the consummate musical embodiment of the joy and miraculousness of the Christmas story. In any event, this six-part cantata cycle is a major Bach masterpiece (among many masterpieces!), and René Jacobs manages to fuse the score's multifarious elements into a unified whole that transcends any one individual effort.

Yes, the soloists are without peer among recorded Christmas Oratorios--has anyone sung the alto arias "Schlafe, mein Liebster..." or "Schließe, mein Herze..." with more tenderness or passion or more lovely tone than Andreas Scholl? And then there's tenor Werner Güra's dazzling "Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben" and Dorothea Röschmann's (and chorus') compelling "echo" aria "Flößt, mein Heiland..." But then, there's the extraordinary RIAS-Kammerchor, which sings with heartfelt reverence and commits the appropriate energy to each chorus, delivered with crisp articulation and an enthusiasm that ideally conveys the sense of the text and the spirit of the occasion. The orchestra upholds and complements the interpretive work of the singers, adding up to an unbeatable performance of music that tends to inspire great efforts.

For this reissue of its 1997 production, Harmonia Mundi has repackaged the two CDs in a beautifully designed hardbound book, complete with an article on the history of Christmas music accompanied by gorgeous color photographs, texts, translations, musician bios, and pertinent discographical and bibliographical information. The sound is first-rate. Now offered at a special price, this classic Christmas Oratorio is an irresistible bargain, an essential part of any Bach-lover's library. Don't miss it. [10/8/2004]

DURUFLE REQUIEM

Maurice Duruflé's Requiem is the Pelléas et Mélisande of its genre. Like Debussy's opera, this music exists in a kind of otherworld, removed from standard form and transcending the usual bonds of melodic structure and harmonic movement. The irregular phrasing and modal, largely scalewise melodies characteristic of the plainchant on which the work is based, are ideal vehicles for creating a kind of rhythmic and harmonic ambiguity that certainly owes something to Debussy but would never be confused with his music. This recording, which uses Duruflé's 1961 version for choir, small orchestra, and organ, is authoritatively and affectingly sung, with some super solo work in the Pie Jesu from countertenor Magid El-Bushra, exquisite tenor sound and singing throughout, and sublime trebles, especially at the opening of the In Paradisum. And the appropriate atmosphere--contemplation, exaltation, prayer, and reassurance--is enhanced by the perfect balance of all the performing forces (not an easy task!) in a spacious, vibrant acoustic. It all adds up to one of the best Duruflé Requiems on disc.

The four motets are slightly less successful, especially the Ubi caritas, presented a bit too squarely, taking the "plain" in plainchant too literally, missing expressive opportunity in the phrasing. But again, these are sung with lovely choral tone and balance and well-executed ensemble--not shabby at all, just not quite as compelling as performances by the Corydon Singers (Hyperion) or Trinity College, Cambridge (Conifer). Similarly, the Messe "Cum jubilo", sung here by 13 baritone voices, features first-rate ensemble singing, much of it quite impressive in its power, and, but for a few strained upper-register notes in the Gloria-movement solo, it too is a top choice for this work. The four works for solo organ, in exemplary performances by Martin Ford (Prélude sur l'Introit de l'Épiphanie; Fugue on a theme by Henri Rabaud; Chant donné en hommage à Jean Gallon; Méditation pour orgue), complement the choral selections nicely and further distinguish this program from several other recommendable recordings with otherwise identical repertoire. Highly recommended!

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

LASSUS

The Huelgas-Ensemble presents another superbly sung, thoughtfully programmed recording that offers for our consideration what conductor Paul Van Nevel describes as "the three major styles of the Renaissance", represented by Roman, Franco-Flemish, and English Late Gothic masses. It's easy to understand the choice of Palestrina (Roman) and Lassus (Franco-Flemish)--but with Thomas Ashewell we truly have a horse of a different color, stylistically for sure, but also one with the most meager catalog (only two extant complete works, according to Van Nevel). The term "late Gothic" as applied to musical style also is not a common one, but Van Nevel obviously has carefully--and probably cleverly--chosen to demonstrate its aspects with Ashewell rather than with a more familiar yet more commonly heard contemporary composer such as Cornysh, Fayrfax, or Carver.

All of this aside, what we have here is a very engrossing concert during which you really can hear the distinct differences Van Nevel talks about in his informative notes, and where you can thoroughly revel in sonorities (especially in the Lassus) that resonate so fully and deeply that you suspect some electronic trickery must be involved. But no, we learn that the "trick" is in having found an ideal performing space--the Museum of Water in the Convento dos Barbadinhos in Lisbon (there are several color pictures of this), a high-ceilinged, open-storied architectural marvel whose primary materials seem to be wood and glass and stone. Combine this setting with Huelgas-Ensemble's absolutely dead-on intonation and focused, dynamic collective sound (not to mention some fine musical material) and you have one incredible vocal-performance event.

You know you're in for something special right from that first soul-satisfying cadence in the Lassus Kyrie. I was further intrigued at how Lassus preserved elements of his original model (Gombert's "Tous les regretz" chanson)--for example, Gombert's typical close-layered imitation technique using very short melodic bits (apparent in the Sanctus)--while still reconstituting the work as his own, and as a functional, formidable, affecting liturgical entity. Although Palestrina's "Ut re mi fa sol la" Mass is not among his most illustrious in the genre, listeners can easily appreciate its distinctive cantus firmus and the composer's facility and varied treatment of it throughout. Again, Van Nevel has chosen a worthy yet rarely recorded work--another of this program's benefits.

As mentioned, Ashewell's Ave Maria Mass is an adventure unto itself, characterized by long melismas, high treble parts, liberal use of cross relations, and above all, very complex rhythms within and between parts, reminiscent of 15th-century Northern European music from an era even before Ashewell (who was born around 1480, a generation before Lassus and Palestrina). There's nothing left to say, except if you're a fan of Renaissance choral music, don't hesitate.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

TALLIS

"It's not easy to conceive and successfully impose a concert-performance dynamic on the formal, square structures of Tallis' Psalm-tune settings, bringing an air of excitement to these essentially functional church pieces. In most circumstances these works merely sound, well, like formal and square hymns, albeit very well crafted with strong, sturdy melodies and occasionally interesting harmony. But if you've been paying attention to the choral music scene lately, you know to expect that Stile Antico--a conductorless British ensemble of 13 (or so) young singers--is more than capable of giving exciting new life to old music, and that's exactly what we get here. There's energy and vitality in the singing that gives unusual substance and power to these very short (most around one minute or less), text-centered settings." -- -- David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

BERNSTEIN MASS

"Nagano has offered a persuasive performance (perhaps even more persuasive than Bernstein’s) of a piece well worth a fresh evaluation... this performance is more polished than its predecessor, and it offers more clarity, more color, more variety of nuance... Nagano seems less desperate to make a case for the piece than Bernstein did, and it consequently emerges even more effectively... What remains unchanged is the sheer prodigality of the musical imagination at work—the ingenuity of its structure, the vigor of its rhythmic momentum, and the catchiness of its tunes. Listen to this recording once, and you’ll be singing it to yourself for days... the sound, especially on the SACD, is exceptional in its clarity, impressive in its sense of space (plenty of depth to the SACD image), and thrilling in its sheer visceral impact. A triumph." -- FANFARE

BRAHMS REQUIEM

"Performance: *****/Sound: ***** Though Philippe Herreweghe made his reputation in early music, his recent discography has crept ever forwards, with oratorios by Mendelssohn, and works by Schumann and Berlioz featuring prominently. So Brahms is a natural progression, and since the composer’s own deep interest in older masters suffuses the Requiem, an early-music background comes in handy. The singing of his combined choirs is a joy: finely schooled and immaculately balanced, yet with feeling in the tone. It took me only a few bars to get used to the vibrato-free string sound, and both conductor and sound engineers enable us to hear a maximum of orchestral detail. The soloists, too, prove well suited to their tasks." -- George Hall, BBC Music

"Herreweghe leads a deeply involved performance, into which he lets a great deal of light ... Chorus and orchestra are magnificent throughout." -- Fanfare

MENDELSSOHN MOTETS

"This disc is an impressive achievement because it takes these more or less predictable indulgences and turns them into very appetizing morsels... Creed and his singers make real music out of this, neither backing away from some of the more overly emphatic moments nor ploughing the textural surface too deeply. They give a concentrated effort to meld disjointed sections and clarify mushy part writing. ... anyone who truly does love this music--and I know you're in the majority--will just enjoy the program." --David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com