The Passion of Christ provides this release’s focal point. The famous Delacroix Christ on the Mount of Olives adorns the cover, together with a booklet essay on the painting by Denis Grenier. They provide provocative visual and theological context for the three large Liszt pieces and the shorter transcriptions that surround them. Whatever the 1871 Ladegast organ at Schwerin Cathedral may lack in richness and tonal variety, the resultant nasal, snarling quality from its blended choirs at louder moments beckons your attention. Organist Yves Rechsteiner’s highly inflected, theatrical brand of virtuosity works well in this music, and his flexible fast tempos invest Liszt’s rabid chromaticism with welcome urgency and coherence (the “Ad Nos” Fantasy’s fugue is a case in point). Mezzo soloist Monique Simon and violinist Amandine Beyer seem cut from the same artistic cloth, sharing a pure, silver-tinged tone and sparse, discreet vibrato. Mechanical noises from the organ’s venerable pipes often distract during quiet passages, but, sonic beefs aside, this disc successfully mates an interesting concept with solid musicianship and fresh programming ideas.
