Although Johann Eberlin (1702-62) was a prominent enough composer that Leopold Mozart made sure his young son Wolfgang studied his liturgical works, the older musician never managed to achieve more than respected success at his appointed post as Kapellmeister to the Archbishop of Salzburg. In other words, few performers or listeners today have heard of him or his more than 300 church compositions. But Eberlin was far more than merely a skilled craftsman who wrote music in a somewhat conservative style when others were more freely experimenting. Yes, he was skillful, but his music shows a level far beyond an ordinary command of counterpoint, form, harmony, and developmental techniques. These pieces--two masses, several motets, and two organ works--are not only eminently listenable: they're involving and interesting and often fascinating. Several are worthy of wide acceptance into the repertoire. Unlike much "second-tier" music from this period, it's never boring for a second. No, it's not masterpiece material, but music isn't just about masterpieces. There are the everyday works that we love coming back to time after time because they're so accessible and charming, with pleasing, inventive harmonies and well-turned melodies. In this case, we also get some really fine contrapuntal vocal writing. And there are quite a few moments--the crafty transition in the middle of the A minor Mass "Sanctus" (and its repeat in the "Benedictus"); the delightful textual play alternating soprano voices with the rest of the choir in the middle of the C major Mass "Gloria"; the gorgeous Kyrie of that same work; the harmonically surprising Christus factus est motet that shoots a theoretical arrow straight to Brahms and Bruckner--that make you shake your head and say, "This guy's really good!"

I also really like the sound of this 16-voice mixed group, founded in 1982, its members drawn from Eton College's "Choral Courses" program. It features a soprano section with a round, focused tone, capable of gentleness and subtlety yet able to produce power when needed without a trace of shrillness, and a rich, warm alto section of which two of the three voices are male. Add to this a solid, centered bass foundation and agile, sweet-toned tenors who not only color the sound but also know how to blend, and you have a choir that's just about ideal. It's certainly perfect for this repertoire, which demands continuous attention to clarity of lines and finding the right vocal balances that preserve the textural fullness without obscuring or weighing down the often considerable activity among the parts. In fact, one of the signs of success in this ensemble is how sensitive the singers are to the importance of a given line at a given moment, and how they also know how to balance chords for maximum effect. The sound gives a good impression of Eton College Chapel's acoustics while allowing us to hear the music's linear detail. The Rodolfus Choir will undertake a two-week tour of the U.S. in 2002; if they perform anywhere nearby, I'll be in the audience.

--David Vernier