Search - William Albright, Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten :: Bernstein & Britten

Outstanding Choral CD

Brett A. Kniess | Madison, WI | 04/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Dean of Chichester Cathedral, Reverend Walter Hussey, is well-known for procuring great musical commissions from leading composers of the day. The two large works on this disk, Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb and Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, are the result of Rev. Hussey's commission. The two works, while one American and one English, share a certain quirkiness, but deep spirituality as well, and are now standard choral repertoire. Also on this disk are some shorter modern choral pieces, including fragments from the Mass by various composers, for a unique and inspired programmed choral CD.



Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb is a unique composition, mostly on account of the choice of text. Christopher Smart, an 18th century poet, wrote while institutionalized in an asylum; in his writings, including this one, Smart finds God in many places, including his cat. Britten's distinctive compositional styles play upon the interesting poetry: in seven sections, each describe many facets of religious thought. The opening introduction is mostly unison chorus and contrasting organ and sets the scene, while the following section, in a fast, uneven meter, describes many characters and animals from the Bible and their stories involving each other. A hushed, yet rhythmical, Hallelujah, calms the action before a male soprano, alto, and tenor soloists each praise God's creations of the cat, mouse and flower, respectively. Smart compares his situation in the asylum with Jesus: "For I am under the same accusation with my Savior" set in a dissonant chant. A joyous roundelay of imitation takes God's musical instruments and rhymes them with random words. The work ends with a reprise of the hushed Hallelujah. The odd text is surprisingly spiritual and personal, and Britten's musical language conveys both of those aspects; the 17-minute cantata for choir and organ is a miniature masterpiece.



Leonard Bernstein's 18-minute Chichester Psalms for chorus, organ, and percussion, is a three movement work, whose text uses Psalms. The unusual choice was Bernstein's setting of Hebrew, rather than English; but in the end, adds to the beauty and meaning of the work. After the first short, dissonant opening chorale, Bernstein's rhythmic finesse shows in a dance-like setting with a whimsical mood. The second movement is a beautifully lyric showcase for male soprano; a very tuneful melody is enrapturing; the men enter in a diabolical patter song and eventually the two ideas overlap for an interesting juxtaposition. The opening chorale reappears as an organ solo, but a gently flowing, peaceful theme permeates the final movement. The work ends in stunning beauty and calm. While completely different than the Britten, the work is uniquely spiritual and personal while having a bit of fun.



The rest of the 67-minute CD is taken up by single choral works by 20th century composers, some known, others not; each offer a different point of view regarding religion and spirituality. Nancy Wertsch's Antiphon for God the Father uses text from Hildegard von Bingen, and sets a solo soprano chanting with a cappella chorus in Latin and English. Stephen Paulus' beautiful Pilgrim's Hymn is an emotional, chorale-like setting. Ahron Harlap's Bat Yiftach is a Hebrew, dramatic setting of the story of Jephthah, who ends up having to sacrifice his only child for receiving the grace of God. In addition, Warland performs various parts of the mass by various composers: a Kyrie and Agnus Dei by William Albright, short settings with shimmering cluster chords that send chills down the spine; a Gloria by Norwegian composer Egil Hovland and a Credo setting by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara; both unique compositions.



The professional chorus, The Dale Warland Singers, under Dale Warland, was America's leading chorus until his retirement. They specialize in modern compositions and interpretations with a deep, rich choral sound. This CD presents moving performances of the single choral pieces on the disk and a good introduction to little known composers. While I still prefer the orchestrated Chichester Psalms for its sheer dramatic qualities, this is probably the best organ version available, the Britten is the finest American performance available, and the program of the CD is well-received. It is a great collection of standards and new compositions; highly recommended."