Philippe Herreweghe’s new account of Schubert’s A-flat mass bears a striking resemblance to John Eliot Gardiner’s 1997 period version on Philips. That’s not Herreweghe’s fault, of course, for Schubert’s choral works are not exactly the sort that lend themselves to radically different interpretations (as shown in equally wonderful readings by Sawallisch–twice–and Harnoncourt). Nonetheless, this clear-cut performance stands on its own merits: it boasts elegant, crisp playing and pungent timbres from the period Orchestre de Champs Elysées; a well-balanced group of soloists with a delectably guileless soprano (especially touching in the “Gratias agimus tibi” solos that grace the second part of the Gloria); and a precise, clear chorus that can negotiate the high spirits of the Gloria with the same ease as the sensitive strains of the Kyrie.
Herreweghe is extremely attentive to the details of the score and has an acute sensitivity for subtle dynamic contrast. Moreover, he makes various sections just come alive. For instance, the Hosanna section of the Sanctus truly dances, thanks to his application of just the right amount of emphasis on accents. In fact, the whole performance is rather light on its feet, and in that respect it is a refreshing entry in the slowly growing field of recordings of this work.
Pairing the Schubert with Mendelssohn’s lackluster setting of Psalm 42 seems to be an odd choice. Rather than devoting the entire disc to Schubert (as Gardiner did rather more logically), Herreweghe evidently was keen on re-expressing his thoughts on this rather uninspiring, foursquare work. His earlier version, released first in 1988 with different forces on Harmonia Mundi, is still available, and not much has really changed. The warmly rendered Bachian soprano-with-oboe aria (“Meine Seele dürstet nach Gott”) represents the only real musical highlight in a sea of dull recitatives and lumbering choral passages. Considering the fact that the filler is not even mentioned on the front cover of this disc certainly must indicate what the real featured attraction is.
