Recording Review - Chormusik in 20. Jahrhundert

Chormusik in 20. Jahrhundert Rondeau 2016 Choir: Windsbacher Knabenchor Review by Andrew Marr Hugo Wolf: Sechs geistliche Lieder Max Reger: Der Mensch lebt und bestehet nur eine kleine Zeit Das Agnus Dei Nachtlied Kodaly: Jesus und die Krämer (Jesus and the traders) Stravinsky: Ave Maria Gottfried Müller: Meine Zeit steht in deinen Händen (My time is in thy hands) O Licht, geboren aus dem Lichte (O Light, born of Light) Emanuel Vogt: Nunc dimittis Siegfried Strohbach: Jesus, der Retter im Seesturm (Jesus, rescuer in the storm at sea) Gustav Gunsenheimer: Die Heilung des Blinden (The healing of the blind man) Arvo Pärt: Magnificat Karl-Friedrich Beringer, cond. 2001 The inclusion of Hugo Wolf and Max Reger in a disc of 20th century music is stretching things. Wolf gets in under the wire as he died in 1903, but his geistliche Lieder were written in 1881. On the other hand, the rich, highly chromatic harmony used by both of these composers tell us that Arnold Schoenberg was laying in ambush of the tonal system. The choir navigates this harmony admirably in highly evocative performances. Many of the selections are dramatic presentations of biblical passages. Kodaly’s narration of Jesus’ driving the traders out of the temple is particularly intense as the bewilderment and anger of the crowd is depicted with frightening realism. The narrative works of Strohbach and Gunsenheimer are equally impressive. Both rely on fairly consonant harmonies to make their points. I have already discussed the two works by Müller in my review of the album devoted to him by this same choir. As usual with this choir, every ounce of drama and more is poured into their singing. If you’re a money changer, it will be enough to make you run for your life. Emanuel Vogt’s Nunc dimittis, Stravinsky’s well-known Ave Maria and Pärt’s Magnificat are atmospheric works of much beauty. The Pärt is taken at a noticeably slower tempo than other performances I have heard, with the effect that it floats somewhere in the stratosphere. Texts in German, English, French & Latin when applicable are included.

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