If your collection is in need of some German late-Romantic-style choral music–ardent emotional character, ultra-chromatic coloring, dense textures, primarily homophonic, heavy with reminders of the motet writing of both Brahms and Bruckner–you could do worse than this generously filled disc of rarely heard works by the nearly unheard-of German composer Georg Schumann (1866-1952). Although there’s really nothing new here, the listening certainly isn’t unpleasant, thanks largely to the committed performances of the Purcell Singers whose unbridled energy and tastefully passionate interpretations go as far to “sell” these works as anyone could hope for. Some of the pieces go on too long, word settings are not particularly imaginative, and others have a textbook-ish harmonic character that never really develops. Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t amateur music, nor is it for amateurs to sing. Within the pages of these scores there’s a lot that choral enthusiasts will appreciate and will be happy to know. If you have anything to do with men’s choruses, the four Op. 41 pieces–declamatory and dramatic–will perhaps suggest some new repertoire choices. In Maria Wiegenlied am Drei Königstage, one of the Op. 51 Three Sacred Songs for mixed chorus, Schumann offers a surprising–and very effective–setting of this Epiphany cradle song that’s right out of Russian liturgical chant style, complete with soloist and answering chorus. And just when you think you’ve got this guy pegged, along come the Songs of Job, three motets for choir and organ that strain the edges of structural coherence but nevertheless in their portrayal of the texts deliver some really poignant and powerful imagery. One work that caught my attention and demanded another hearing (and perhaps a performance with a choir someday): Beim Kindelwiegen (Rocking song), one of the group of Three Old German Songs for mixed chorus Op. 63. Its tune is best-known to most listeners as Joseph lieber, Joseph mein, but few will be familiar with this original and well-wrought setting–a real gem in a mixed bag.
