As far as I’m concerned–and among choral music fans I know I’m not alone in this–there can’t be too many recordings of the repertoire featured on this program. No matter how many versions of Britten’s Sacred and Profane and Hymn to St. Cecilia appear in the catalog (and there are precious few of the former even now), or Vaughan Williams’ Shakespeare Songs, or Stanford’s sublime motet The Blue Bird, there’s always a place for one more in my collection. Of course, these performances vary in quality, but the ones presented here by the RIAS-Kammerchor join the reference standards listed above among the most idiomatic, musically accomplished, technically assured versions on disc. The Britten Op. 91, subtitled “Eight Medieval Lyrics” and composed just two years before the composer’s death in 1976, provides enormous challenges for any choir (one reason we see so few performances), but this Berlin-based, German-speaking ensemble really nails both the music’s craggy, gritty harmonies and the profoundly English texts, giving listeners a full-spectrum experience of these colorful, complex settings.
And this is only the beginning of a well-planned and impressively executed program of works that are not only English in text but also in character. And that makes these performances all the more special for their consummate grasp of manner and language. For example, Elgar’s There is sweet music and Vaughan Williams’ Full Fathom Five and Over hill, over dale demand a warm, lyrical expressive style, gentle yet pointed inflection, and bright, open vowels–and that’s exactly what we get from these highly disciplined, world-class singers. In Britten’s time-honored and oft-performed Hymn to St. Cecilia we hear stunning unison octaves and soprano singing that would be the envy of any choral group. The unnamed soprano soloist is sensational–and the tenor is no slouch either. As for Stanford’s The Blue Bird–one of the marvels of the a cappella choral repertoire–the choir’s sound may be a bit heavier than ideal, owing to noticeably darker, more covered, German-influenced vowels (as in the line “The lake lay blue, below the hill”), but as you listen to these glorious romantic harmonies and the soaring soprano line, you don’t care because the cumulative effect of Stanford’s impressionistic conception is thrillingly, accurately realized. No, it’s not the flawless masterpiece rendered by John Rutter’s Cambridge Singers, but it’s close enough, and as the disc’s closing number it’s a breathtaking finish to a memorable, intelligently conceived concert, captured in vibrant, full-bodied sound. Without qualification, this is one of the best discs of the year. [6/22/2002]
