Search - Zoltan Kodaly, Aurel Tillai :: Kodály: An Ode for Music

This is a first class recording by a wonderful choir.

br.burgess@ulst.ac.uk | Coleraine, Northern Ireland | 07/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD contains 18 tracks of the best of Kodaly's choral music. All the major choral pieces are included with particularly fine performances of "Evening", "Jesus and the Traders" and the "Matra Pictures". The choral technique of the choir is absolutely superb with excellent balance between voices, a lovely rich overall tone and the phrasing and breath control are amazing (listen to the final chord of "Jesus and the Traders"). Some of the tempi chosen are on the fast side which suits the Hungarian language inflections but probably would be performed rather more slowly in English. As an introduction to music of Kodaly this CD is a 'must' as it shows all his great strengths as a composer - total understanding of the concerted human voice, an effective and rich harmonic palette with subtle use of disssonace, material incorporating traditional folk melody in an interesting and non-sentimental way as in the lively "See the Gypsies" with its two contrasting sections, fast - to represent dance and slow with a guitar-like accompaniment as they sit round a campfire. The recording itself is lively with a big choral sound but not too much resonsance to blur the choral subtleties of these little miniatures. I would love a version of this music in English to be recorded as I think the attraction for Kodaly's choral music would be even more accessible to a wider audience. All in all a CD for everyone interested in the choral repetoire."

A bit too fast...

Corey Rubin | Cleveland, OH USA | 01/25/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I appreciate the crispness of this choir's performance; however, I am disappointed that, in many of the slower pieces, Kodaly's knack for capturing a distinctive warmth is overlooked, because the tempi are much too fast."