Oil & Vinegar
D. Seymour | Atlanta, GA USA | 01/31/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Despite being superbly executed, this disc is a little bit strange. The pairing of Verdi and Stravinsky is as improbable as a fish needing a bicycle. However, aside from my programming reservations, this is another fine example of what Robert Shaw can do when he gets in front of a chorus. Verdi's hushed, a cappella Ave Maria seems atypical of Verdi's buoyant, expressive style - it is reverent but almost inelastic. The Stabat Mater rings out with a glorious grandeur only Verdi could produce. The Laudi is a beautiful yet simple piece with clear and beautiful lines for the Sopranos. It is so gentle it would not be out of place in the Abbey from the Sound of Music. The Te Deum is worth the 20 minute wait just to hear it explode from your speakers. The Symphony of Psalms is delicate, beautiful, powerful and full of Stravinsky's free-range woodwinds. I love his music, but I must argue that the Symphony of Psalms would have been better paired with any number of the other great sacred pieces of Stravinsky. This is my only complaint, that there is a disconcerting gear-shift moving from the grandiose Verdi to the sparse Stravinsky. However, if you enjoy both composers, you will not be disappointed with Shaw and his forces on this recording."
The concert of a lifetime!
E. Salazar | Del Rio, TX USA | 11/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have heard this CD and let me tell you it brings me excitement and a glorius feeling every time I hear it! I sang all these pieces in high school and all these songs were just rewarding to sing and hear! The Atlanta Symphony Chorus and its sister the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra combine again to make a unique blend like no other two ensembles I ever heard together. I definately gave this CD the perfect 5 stars. From the haunting beauty of Igor Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms" to the well-written, glorious sounds of Giuseppe Verdi's "Quattro Pezzi Sacri", this is a CD that will bring you joy and pleasure."
As close to heaven as you can get
Ivan G. Guevara | 12/31/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an unusual coupling, folks. We have Verdi's Four Sacred Pieces sublime as you can get, coupled with Stravinky's Symphony of Psalms, with its almost pagan-sounding rhythms and austere choral writing which hearkens to the Rite of Spring.
The Stravinsky was originally paired with Shaw's recording of the Poulenc Gloria, which was out of print at the time of this reissue - the Verdi is newly recorded for this release. The Verdi works were never intended by the composer to be per-
formed as a set, but had begun to be presented in this fashion toward the end of his life. The contrasts between the three
serene a capella works and the Te Deum with full orchestra make a fine case for their being performed as a group. The
Stravinsky is cast in four interconncted movements (hence the title of Symphony) and its relentless, motoric rhythms are a stark contrast to the by turns chaste and operatic style of the Verdi.
All these works have been recorded many times, but the above CD by Maestro Shaw and his beloved Atlantans is in my view the
best on the market today, especially at its new budget price. The Verdi in particular has much competition, notably from
Giulini/Philharmonia, but Shaw's chorus is just as adept with the score and is even more expressive with a greater emotio-
nal and dynamic range abetted by a superb recording which is brings the chorus to the fore and does not keep it in the
back of the sound picture as Telarc sometimes does with this chorus.
The Stravinsky pretty much stands alone in terms of the faultless and full-toned choral singing and Shaw maintains the rhy-
thmic drive to the end while keeping the slow last movement flowing wihout falling apart - no mean feat! The closest compe-
titor in this work is the Bernstein/London Symphony recording which is just as exciting but betrayed by the chorus which is
sorely out of tune most of the time.
So the present Shaw recording can be recommended without hesitation. You will not, should not be disappointed. Listen and
be transported away from the cares of this world even if for just one hour.
"
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
