A Martin Choral Miscellany Worth Hearing
Nicholas A. Deutsch | New York, NY USA | 09/21/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With the exception of the early Mass for Unaccompanied Double Choir (1922/26), Frank Martin's most significant choral music is to be found in the 4 large-scale oratorios of his maturity: In Terra Pax (1944), Golgotha (1945-8), Le Mystere de la Nativite (1957-9) & the Requiem (1970-1). This disc is a worthwhile attempt to gather together some of the shorter pieces from throughout his career; if some of the performances come off better than others, that's largely because the various works were written for very different resources, & no one choir - even one as accomplished as The Sixteen - can be expected to succeed equally well in all of them. Thus The Sixteen do very well indeed in the challenging 5 Songs of Ariel (1950) - magical, evocative English-language settings of texts from Shakespeare's Tempest - composed for the professional Netherlands Chamber Choir; in the 2 occasional pieces, the Cantata for August 1st (1941)& the Ode to Music (1961), one wants more voices & more sheer enthusiasm. Likewise, the charming little folk-like songs would probably carry more conviction with amateur forces - or at least French-speaking ones. (The French throughout is carefully coached but clearly not native.) One programming error isn't their fault: The settings of the Ronsard Ode and Sonnet, sung here in reverse order & interleaved with 2 other songs, were previously thought to date from 1931; they actually come from 1912, & when played together in the right order are far more effective. Overall, I have enjoyed, & continue to enjoy this disc a lot more than the Amazon reviewer & I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys Martin's music & wants to explore some of the rarer pieces."
Excellent Shakespeare Songs, the Rest a Mixed Bag...
Nicholas A. Deutsch | New York, NY USA | 06/13/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"While not disagreeing in essence with Matthew Westphal's assessment, I have to say I enjoy this disc more that he did. The basic problem is that Martin's shorter & smaller-scale choral works were composed for a wide range of occasions & capabilities. Thus the Five Ariel Songs, an evocative & inspired group written for the Netherlands Chamber Choir, fits the Sixteen's refined professional skills perfectly (as well as being in their native language). The French pieces suffer not only from absence of idiomatic language skills, but from an excess of reserve & a lack of gusto: first-rate amateur or semi-pro performances by committed Swiss singers would certainly bring more conviction to the two "occasional" pieces & to the 2 sets of Chansons (the way a good British choir might to some of Benjamin Britten's minor pieces, or to Percy Grainger's choral works). Even so, the Chansons are tuneful & charming, & some of them - Petite Eglise & the Ronsard Sonnet in particular - are tinged with a touching melancholy. For these, & for the Shakespeare settings, worth considering. Texts & translations."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1