Vocal & Choral
CD and Other Review

Review: Planctus (Capela de Ministrers/Magraner)

This accomplished Valencian ensemble under Carles Magraner has amassed a fine discography since 1987 but has been over-shadowed by the prolific output of a certain Catalan group with a charismatic front man. A shame, but such is the whim of the market. The programme, evoking the key date of 1414, intersperses movements of the Requiem with laments. It could be a grim affair but works a dark charm thanks to inspired realisations and vivid performance. Vocal ensembles have that sensuous Iberian manner with ochre colouring and characterful soloists. Tenor Miguel Bernal is superb; his fervour bordering on the histrionic in the sequence Clangam, Filii and Agnus Dei. Hair-shirted purists might sniff at the degree of conjectural instrumental elaborations but non-specialist listeners will enjoy the variety of timbre within the prevailing style, with interesting use of an exaquier, a sort of small primitive harpsichord, and exquisite work on flute by David Antich. For the final three tracks the listener is jolted out of medieval Iberia with a brief jaunt across the Alps for Ir Tanezer und Spranezer, a literal dance of death, before being eased into the more familiar idiom of… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already…

January 8, 2016
Vocal & Choral
CD and Other Review

Review: Evensong Live 2015 (The Choir of King’s College Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury)

Thanks to its in-house recording system, the King’s College Choir is able to offer us a snapshot of its musical activities during the past academic year. As you would expect, the range of music in any season would be rather diverse, and so it is here. There is a central core of English fare: Tallis, Parsons, Parry and Vaughan Williams, but continental influences include Poulenc and Mendelssohn, whilst more recent music by Giles Swayne and Henryk Górecki is also included. Having listened to many recordings of this choir over the years, I was struck by the freshness and clarity of the sound that the current microphone placement delivers. This clarity, combined with the live nature of these performances, shows the choir (and its chapel’s famous acoustic) in a different light. Take, for example, Swayne’s Magnificat. A certain exuberance and spontaneity add to the choir’s customary technical precision. The result is a livelier and slightly less homogenous sound than some of the choir’s ‘studio’ recordings – this is no bad thing. Whether it be the intimacy of Poulenc’s Christmas motets, the intensity of Górecki’s Totus Tuus, the grandeur of… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already…

January 8, 2016