The musical and sonic splendors of this CD having already been discussed at length by David Vernier (type Q7162 in the search box for his review) and found worthy of a 10/10 rating, with which I fully agree, I will limit myself to sonic comparisons. It might seem obvious, but multi-channel surround sound (4.0 though nothing on the package says so) is very good at music that is supposed to surround. It’s less good at creating the illusion of performers lined up on a stage in front of you, something stereo does with great ease if with a certain unavoidable “flatness” of perspective. Of course, SACD is getting better as producers and engineers figure out how to use the technology, but if you want to hear what surround sound is all about, then at this stage in the game it makes sense to find something with which to surround yourself.
That means organ recitals (which very few people care about), music with a clear spatial element (not too much of that available yet), and this disc, which strikes me as one of the most successful demonstrations of the new technology imaginable. Performing Spem in alium in the round, with the listener at the center, duplicates with uncanny accuracy the acoustics of the Church of All Saints, Tooting, creating the illusion of a huge space extending above and beyond the listener. Of course it helps that the performances are as splendid as the sonics, and there’s much more of interest musically than this single work–but when the English version of Tallis’ masterpiece returns at the end of the disc, at a livelier tempo and with instruments contributing to the sonority, it’s enough to make Satan repent. If you own an SACD multi-channel system, you simply have to hear this. It’s going to make you feel very, very good.
