Search - Edmund Rubbra, Robert Houssart, Edward Lyon :: Rubbra: Nine Tenebrae Motets

The Quintessential Rubbra

Mark Swinton | 11/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Naxos is surely one of the most commendable of record labels for supplying remarkable music at budget price. This for me is one of their best offerings: a chance to assess (for the merest slip of a price) the choral music of a much-neglected yet rewarding twentieth century composer.In his early life it appeared that Rubbra was to become a railway worker, but he displayed strong talent as a pianist and made a good impression on the composer Cyril Scott, who took him on as a private pupil and led him towards scholarships at Reading and the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Holst. He worked as a music journalist in London before becoming a lecturer - firstly at Oxford and latterly at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He was therefore a deeply scholastic figure, and shaped the musical output of many an aspiring young composer in addition to producing his own output of over 160 works, including eleven symphonies. Little by little, he is receiving greater recognition for these, but he once declared that he most enjoyed working in the choral medium - and this is richly borne out on this disc.After much soul-searching, Rubbra joined and remained firmly wedded to the Roman Catholic Church, hence most of his choral music is in Latin and reminiscent of Mediaeval and Renaissance polyphony, which he is known to have enjoyed. The "Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici" is an excellent introduction to his curious style: sensitivity to nuances of Latin text; boldly crafted sonorities; harmonies that shift to and fro in a departure from nearly all the rules of tonal composition, bringing a flavour of mysticism to the effect of the music. The "Kyrie" and "Agnus Dei" are particular examples of this; the "Gloria" and "Credo" are somewhat more clearly cut but no less heady.It is with the "Nine Tenebrae Motets" that Rubbra's true depth is revealed. This is a deeply personal work, consisting of three "nocturns" or groups of three motets. The music is powerful, covering the full range of choral sound from hushed and thin-textured to loudly declaimed and densely scored. The same mystical shifting of chords is here to an even greater extent than in the Mass: it is as if Rubbra is pouring himself into the powerful text and living with the text until he is fit to burst. Above all else he captures the general feeling of pain, of doubt and of anguish that is a characteristic feeling of the accounts of Holy Week (and in particular Good Friday). It would be interesting on listening to compare this work with Poulenc's "Quatre Motets pour un temps de Penitence," which shares some of these texts.The two remaining choral works on the disc were composed for the Anglican liturgy. The "Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in A flat" is a remarkable setting; a very personal response to words that have been set countless times by composers well-known and otherwise. The "Magnificat" opens with a sense of harmonic ambiguity and foreboding that is odd given the joyful nature of the words, but the music gradually takes on the sentiments of the text, almost as if the composer is latching on the Virgin's realisation of the immense role imparted to her. The "Nunc Dimittis" is one of Rubbra's most glorious and memorable compositions, not least because of its broad unison tune. Meanwhile, the "Missa Cantuariensis" sets the Mass text in English, following the order set out in the Book of Common Prayer, and shows how differently Rubbra viewed the musical needs of the Anglican church by writing for it in a more diluted version of his 'mystical' style. As with all the other works on the disc, there is great contrast to be found here, both in the choral writing and in the approach towards texts.The programme also includes two solo organ works, cleanly played by Robert Houssart. The brief but pleasant "Prelude and Fugue on a theme by Cyril Scott" is actually a piano piece, heard here in a transcription by Bernard Rose, once Informator Choristarum at Magdalen College Oxford (so it presumably met with the composer's approval!) whilst the "Meditation" is reminiscent of Baroque trios, with two ornate contrapuntal lines interweaving above a pedal drone. These pieces are interesting footnotes to (and good palatte-cleansers between) the choral works.St. John's College Cambridge has long been regarded as a powerhouse of church music-making; although its chapel lacks the cathedral-like resonance and organ of its famous neighbour, King's College, its choir is of an equally high calibre, and has indeed been blessed over the years by the leadership of some very fine musicians, including George Guest and Christopher Robinson (soon to be replaced by David Hill of Winchester Cathedral). Part of the reason for the neglect suffered by Rubbra is the demanding nature of much of his music, but even the most straining of passages are overcome by these boys and men, amongst whom are some excellent soloists. Their performances make for rivetting listening - I was glued to my seat for the entire programme!I couldn't quite bring myself to give this one five stars, simply because I feel that the music may not suit all tastes: the effect of Rubbra's free tonality is such that listeners can never guess where the music will move next, and I sometimes find this unsettling. However, for the most part I also feel that Rubbra was a fine composer who found a unique way in which to blend new musical grammar with a healthy respect for the sound-world of the distant past, and I would recommend this to all who are looking for something more than a little 'off the beaten track.'"

Some of Rubbra's finest choral music

Rodney Gavin Bullock | Winchester, Hampshire Angleterre | 05/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rubbra is best known, if he is known at all, for his symphonies but he wrote a great deal of choral music of the highest quality. He had a mystical turn of mind and, like his teacher, Gustav Holst, was interested in Eastern religions. Catholicism attracted him and he converted from the Anglican faith in the late 40s. He composed a lot of religious music, reaching its culmination in the Sinfonia Sacra. The Tenebrae Motets are the real find here. These are masterpieces of choral writing. You are often on a musical rack, with Rubbra building up the harmonic tension, easing it and then building it up again. The emotional effect is intense. Also on this CD is the Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici and the Missa Cantuariensis (Canterbury Mass). The first was written to celebrate the composer's acceptance into the Catholic church. The Canterbury Mass was written for Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England, for the Anglican litergy. They are both wonderful works. The Canterbury Mass is notable for the use of an organ accompaniment in the Credo. Rubbra wanted to stress the importance of belief. Finally there is the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, more 'public' and ceremonial than the other works. The performance by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, under Christopher Robinson is first rate. The recording, though not outstanding, is good. The notes are by Anthony Carwood, and are excellent as you would expect. All this at a bargain price. The disc is one of a Naxos series of choral music by British composers. Others include works by Howells and Britten.

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The Darkness Cannot Comprehend It

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 03/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As we are now a full week into Lent it's time for me to renew my series of reviews on music for Lent and Holy Week. I can think of now more auspicious disc to begin this series this year than Edmund Rubbra's masterful choral music. This is some of the most beautifully crafted and deeply felt music in the English choral literature.English choral composers tend to fall into two camps, agnostics who wrote occasional music for Anglican services. Quintessential composers in this group include Vaughn Williams, Walton and Howells. The second group consists of composers of deep religious feeling, often devoted Catholics. Both groups have created moving service and church music out of their differing religious attitudes. Rubbra belongs squarely in the second camp. In the 1940s, after a profound spiritual crisis, Rubbra converted to Roman Catholicism. One of the first results of this decision is the Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici. Written for a capella choir, the work is a beautiful and very personal merging of twentieth century modalism with choral counterpoint directly out of the Renaissance. Rubbra's style is not overly adventurous, but his harmonic sense is sure and unique. The parts are not predictable. His harmony expertly shades the meaning of the text. The centerpiece of this disc is definitely the Nine Tenebrae Motets. The texts for these works come from the Latin service for Matins on Maundy Thursday. They are divided into three "nocturnes" traditionally. Each nocturne deals with a different aspect of the evening of Holy Thursday. The first describes the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane; the second relates the Betrayal of Judas, and the third details the Trial at Caiaphas' house. Each text in the work is meant to be sung in a service consisting of Gregorian chant, readings and the gradual extinguishing of lighted candles. This is perhaps one of the most dramatic services in the catholic church and Rubbra gives it a special atmosphere. His melodies are graceful and sober and punctuated by lovely harmonic twists. He also plays beautifully with choral textures, pitting solo groups against the whole. One can imagine that in the context of the service this is especially moving music, but even in the concert performance presented here the work is overwhelming.The rest of the pieces on the disc are also fine. The Missa Cantuariensis is an occasional work for the Cathedral of Canterbury. It's a fine setting of the Ordinary of the Mass in English. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis are fine choral works for the service of Evensong. These are works that should be programmed more frequently in English Evensong services. They are lovely and very effective. The disc is rounded out by two attractive organ works. Performances on this Naxos disc are uniformly excellent. Though in the past, some of Naxos' English Choral Music series has suffered from intonation problems and badly trained boys in the choir, this disc has one of the great English choirs performing, St. John's College, Cambridge. If they are not as famous as King's College or the Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, they are still every bit as expert in the English choral tradition as those august groups. The recorded sound is spacious and resonant, a must for the repertoire. This is choral music at it's finest, and perhaps some of the best Lenten music anywhere. It is at once somber and deeply healing music, and the result of a conversion process more sincere and more spiritual than many more public Lenten meditations. This disc should do much to help revive the reputation of this most neglected of English composers."