Choral & Song BACH. MOTETS. aAgn6s Mellon, aGreta do * Reyghere (sops); avincent Darras (alto); aHoward Crook (ten); apeter Kooy (bass); Collegium Vocale; La Chapelle Royale Chorus and Orchestra / Philippe Herre- weghe. Harmonia Mundi ® HMC1231/2 (two records, nas); HMC40 1231/2; (D HMC90 1231 (67 minutes). Notes, tests and translations included. Item marked b not available on CD. Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV225. Der Geist hilfi unser Schwachheit auf, 8WV226. Jesu, meine Freude, BWV2271. Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir, BWV228. Konim, Jesu, komm!, BWV229. Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV230 0 Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV1 18b

Motets, BV/V225-30—selected comparisons;

Hillier LP (10/85) EL270238-1

Gardiner LP (10/81) STU71 337 (D(5/86) ECD88117

I enjoyed Philippe Herreweghe's 1-larmonia Mundi recording of Bach's Si Matthew Passion when it was issued in 1985; now we have his performance of Bach's motets in which he performs the seven works published in the Neue Bachausgabe in 1965. Amongst these is Lobet den Herrn whose authenticity, pace Herreweghe, is not incontestable, and 0 Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht which takes its rightful place amongst the motets rather than the cantatas. Herreweghe in general favours co/la porte instrumental support but performs Komm, Jesu, komm! with continuo bass only. In the case of Der Geist hi/ft the surviving parts, of course, are used; that is to say with strings doubling the voices of the first chorus and reed instruments doubling those of the second.

The chief novelty here, perhaps, is the mode of execution of Jesu, meine Freude which is performed with one voice to a part throughout. BWVI 18 is performed in its later version in which the voices are supported by strings, oboes and two 'litui' (Bohemian terminology for horns). Alas, this captivating funeral piece is included only in the LP album and is omitted from the CD. In the motets for double choir there are between two and four voices to each strand and in the two for single choir (BWVI 18 and 230) there are four voices to a part. As I've already mentioned, the five-part Jesu, meine Freude—not four-part as listed in both formats—is sung by soloists: Agnes Mellon, Greta de Reyghere, Vincent Darras, Howard Crook and Peter Kooy.

In general these are persuasive accounts of pieces which are notoriously difficult to carry off successfully in performance. Herreweghe is, above all, a choral conductor and he knows how to discipline a choir. The results here are often impressive with crystal-clear textures and predominantly fine ensemble and intonation. These virtues often result in splendidly resonant sonorities and sumptuously rich harmonic effects. I am sorry that he opted for an entirely solo treatment of Jesu, n'teine Freude for, although there is some wonderful singing here with notably lively continuo cello playing, I miss the contrasts afforded by choir and ensemble which emphasize Bach's vivid word-painting.

Herreweghe's approach is closer to that of John Eliot Gardiner and his Monteverdi Choir (Erato) than to the more recent recording by the Hanover Boys' Choir and the Hilliard Ensemble (HMV Reflexe) which confined instrumental support to basso continuo. I enjoyed the Hanover Boys' Choir performances but I feel that this new recording creates a more vivid reflection of these remarkable works. It is certainly an issue which I shall want to listen to many times over and it can be enthusiastically recommended. Excellent sound presentation. N.A.

BACH. Cantata No, 208. Was mir behagst, is nur die * muntreJagd!, "Hunt". Jennifer Smith, Emma Kirkby (sops); Simon Davies (ten); Michael George (bass); The Parley of Instruments I Roy Goodman. Hyperion (D ® CDA66169 (44 minutes). Text and translation included. From A66169 (1/86).

My enthusiasm for the LP recording was enough to place it among my "Critics' Choice" for this year and it is no less for this, even cleanersounding CD transfer. The orchestral forces are small (and sufficient), it is the four soloists who sing the choruses (as it was probably done in its own time), and the whole is enclosed in two movements from BWVIO46a, the earlier version of the First Brandenburg Concerto, to serve as Tafelmusik—and providing more employment for the (here expertly handled) horns. Bach, via his librettist Salomo Franck, celebrates the love of Duke Christian, a man who lived 'high on the hog', for hunting, but, mindful of the source of his bread and butter, emphasizes that on this occasion the birthday of the Duke ('Pan' in his own land) is what is really important.

One cares much more about the music than the Duke and, thanks to Emma Kirkby, is as charmed by it as the safely grazing sheep must have been.

J. D.

BACH. Christmas Oratorio. Paul Esswood (alto); * Kurt Equiluz (ten); Siegmund Nimsgern (bass); Vienna Boys' Choir; Chorus Viennensis; Vienna Concentus Musicus I Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec/Conifer 0 ZB8 35022 (three discs, nas; 155 minutes). Notes, text and translation included From Tele. funken 5KH25-T/1 -3 (12/73) BACH. Christmas Oratorio. Barbara Schlick (sop); * Carolyn Watkinson (contr); Kurt Equiluz (ten); Michel Brodard (bass); Lausanne Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra / Michel Corboz. Erato/Conifer (D ® ECD880593 (three discs, nas; 150 minutes) Notes, text and translation included. From NUM751 373 (12/84).

Selected CD comparison;

Richter (4/85) 413 625-2AH3

Just as with Passions at Easter, so Christmas Oratorios appear at year's end. This year Conifer have chosen to release two CD versions: the 13year-old Harnoncourt recording and the more recent Corboz. Bach has for a long time been very well served, vocally and instrumentally, by recordings and these are no exception; even the 21-yearold Munich version under Richter on Archiv Produktion (now released on CD) has much to offer, if a massive choral and orchestral sound (and consequently slowish tempos) are to your taste.

Vocally, the Harnoncourt offers some breathtaking moments. The Vienna Boys' Choir, and in particular the anonymous treble soloist, bring exquisite vocal technique, clear diction and a welcome transparency to their parts. The acoustical effect of the echo aria in Part 4 is unrivalled in the other versions. Paul Esswood is in his prime, never more affecting than in "Bereite dich, Zion" (Part I); Kurt Equiluz sings with beauty and nimbleness in "Frohe Hirten eilt" (Part 2), though the performance is spoilt by the mannered flute playing. All three vocal soloists shine in the terzetto of Part 5.

Corboz is both polished and enlightened. He has carefully chosen a soprano who controls her vibrato and an alto without the weight of tone of the one in the Richter version. Eleven years on, Equiluz again takes the tenor part, and if his voice is technically less brilliant, he uses it more effectively. However, with the absence of a treble, a certain important mystique is lost; indeed, the mixed chorus in both the Corboz and Richter versions never achieve the clarity of the Vienna Boys' Choir.

What distinguishes Corboz's Christmas Oratorio is its stylishness—the tempos are always judged to a nicety and the soloists, chorus and orchestra contribute in equal measure to a beautifully integrated performance that sounds wonderfully up to date—both in the quality of the recording and in the approach to the music. The Harnoncourt sadly shows its age; as a product of the earlymusic revival it represents an important move away from the sort of performance exemplified by

Richter. The engineering 'facelift' given it by the CD succeeds neither in mellowing the austere sound nor in balancing it: the bass is weak in the opening of Part I, the violins obtrude in "Lasset uns" (Part 3) and the drums seem excessively loud in the finale of Part 6; the clarity with which all the parts can now be heard means that a blended sound is rarely achieved.

Instrumentally, there are marvellous obbligato contributions on all three recordings (particularly from the oboes), though the horn playing in the opening of Part 4 in the Richter version, the violin playing of Henri Revelli in "Schliesse, mein Herze" (Part 3) and in the terzetto (Part 5) in the Corboz version, and the oboe d'amore playing in Part 5 of the Harnoncourt version all call for praise, as does the trumpet playing in the tuttis in all versions.

In short, the Harnoncourt will continue to delight those who prefer boys' voices to the riper sound of women, and the Richter will certainly find its followers among the choral-society devotees; but for the best all-round performance, acceptable to authenticity-minded listeners as well as the more traditionally grounded, invest in the Corboz discs. JULIE ANt'ta SADIE.

BACH. Mass in B minor. Isabelle Poulenard (sop), * Guillemette Laurens (mez); René Jacobs (alto); John Elwes (ten), Max van Egmond. Harry van der Kamp (basses), Netherlands Bach Society Collegium Musicum; La Petite Sande / Gustav Leonhardt. Deutsche

Harmonia Mundi/EMI(D ® CDC169541-8(two discs, nas; 112 minutes). Notes, text and translation included.

Selected CD comparisons;

Gardiner (2/86)41551 4-2AH2

Parrott (8/86) CDS7 47293-2

Some readers may already have heard this performance of Bach's B minor Mass, since it was made available to a number of radio stations, including the BBC, through the European Broadcasting Union. Now it is available on these two newly released CDs with full texts and an authoritative essay by the German musicologist and theologian Walter Blankenburg. It is splendid that Bach's recent tercentenary celebrations have given birth to at least three first-rate performances of his opus u/i imum each of which, in different respects, encourages the listener to question and to reassess traditional and often tenaciously held opinions concerning its nature and its essence. We have only to recall that in the early 1950s Friedrich Smend, the Editor of the B minor Mass for the Neue Bachausgabe, turned away from the idea that Bach might have conceived his Mass in terms of unity but that its components were in the nature of a random choice.

Gustav Leonhardt uses orchestra] forces similar in size to those of Andrew Parrott (EMI) but with four rather than three first violins; John Eliot Gardiner's orchestra is very slightly larger than these (Archiv Produktion). Leonhardt's choral body, however, is more substantial than Parrott's ripieno vocal group though the size and disposition of the Netherlands Bach Society Collegium Musicum are not given. All three performances have a fine if, on occasion, uneven team of soloists. Leonhardt, like Gardiner, uses an alto for the alto solos whilst Parrott prefers alto boy soloists; Gardiner, alone, I think, uses men's alto voices in the choruses.

I find Leonhardt's account of the Mass impressive both on account of the fact that he conveys a very strong sense of unity, and for what is best described, perhaps, as its air of devotional concentration. The performance throughout has what strikes me as a greater spirit of introspection than others cited in this review. This is achieved partly by the carefully balanced recorded perspective but also, I think, by Leonhardt's tempos which, in all but one or two instances, are slower than those of Parrott, for example. This is in no sense to be understood as being a virtue lacking in the other but rather a shift of emphasis, a slightly darker landscape. Leonhardt seems to have a more monumental conception of the choruses than Parrott or Joshua Rifkin (Nonesuch D CD79036-2), though not, of course, monumental in the old (I hope) choral-society tradition. Unfortunately, his choir seldom measures up to requirements in the way, for instance, that Gardiner's does. The Kyrie choruses sound a little too drowsy for me, a little limp, too, and the freshness which characterizes Parrott's account of these movements is, to my ears, sadly lacking. The weak aspects of this choral singing are also very evident in the opening choruses of the Credo; elsewhere, the Netherlands Bach Society choir sound more alert though seldom if ever, do they achieve the high standards of ensemble set by either Parrott's or Gardiner's singers. This for me is the weak point in Leonhardt's account of the B minor Mass.

The strong features in this new recording are, as we might expect, plentiful. The soloists comprise a more evenly matched team, perhaps, than is realized by any of the competing versions. The young French soprano, Isabelle Poulenard, was a happy choice and her duet with René Jacobs, "Et in unuin Dominum", blends effectively. Jacobs gives an affecting account of the Agnus Dei, in which intrusive mannerisms, once a dissuasive aspect of his artistry, are banished. The orchestra (La Petite Bande led by Sigiswald Kuijken) provide sympathetic and dependable support to the voices at all points in the Mass. There is some fine obbligato playing whose conjunction with solo voices reaches an apogee in a delicately blended "Domine Deus" with Barihold Kuijken (flute) and the well-matched Isabelle Poulenard and John Elwes.

To sum up, I was affected by Leonhardt's performance. It communicated a spiritual dimension to me, and a sense of timelessness which I felt only to a lesser extent in other versions of which I've spoken. It's a relaxed account which is likely to awaken in us strong human responses of a reflective nature. Parrott, on the other hand (and Gardiner, too, for that matter), conveys a more fervent spirit of optimism; his account is crisper, betraying a more joyful spirit. In Leonhardt's view of the music I felt that the clouds were never allowed to disperse fully to reveal the dazzling radiance inherent, for example, in the "Cum sancto Spiritu". The choir must take some of the responsibility for this but it is, too, a characteristic of this approach.

There is no one performance of a work of such profound human understanding that is either definitive or completely and enduringly satisfying. It is absurd for me to attempt a clear-cut recommendation of one account over another when such careful preparation and thought characterize each of those which I've mentioned. No lover of Bach's language will want to overlook this issue. It is effectively recorded, helpfully presented and convincingly directed by a musician with a mature understanding and long experience of Bach's music. N.A.

BERLIOZ. Romeo et Juliette—dramatic symphony, * Op. 17. Symphonie funèbre et triomphale, 0p 15b'Florence Quivar (mez); 'Alberto Cupido (ten): aTom Krause (bar); 5Jeffrey Budin (tbn); aMontreal Tudor Singers, abMontreal Symphony Chorus, Montreal Symphony Orchestra / Charles Dutoit. Decca digital CD 417 302-1 DH2 (two records, nas); IZ1417 302-4DH2; CD 417 302-2DH2 (two discs, nas: 131 minutes). Notes, texts and translations included.

Symphonie funêbre—comparative CD version:

C. Davis (4/86) 416 283-2PH2

Another feather in the Dutoit/Montreal/Decca cap, not least for the sound engineers' achievement in so brilliantly capturing the mammoth sonorities of the Symphonic Junébre et triomphale (whose first performance Berlioz conducted walking backwards at the head of his huge wind-andpercussion band, though—alas for the legend!— with a baton, not a sword). For concert hall, rather than open air, performance he later added strings and a chorus; and it is this version that is adopted here (as it was in Cohn Davis's 1969 Philips recording). Splendid as that issue was, this new one even surpasses it in clarity and impact, with its majestic brass chords and a chorus that adds incisively to the final climax. Whether Dutoit

December 1986 actually employed Berlioz's demanded minimum of 107 players (not counting the strings) or included some of the more exotic instruments listed in the score, is perhaps open to question, but the result is, as the composer intended, indeed aweinspiring; and to this Dutoit's absolute control of the march's inexorable onward sweep, and the finely-delivered solo trombone Oration, powerfully contribute.

A year earlier, in 1839, Berlioz had produced, thanks to Paganini's generosity, his "dramatic symphony" Romeo et Juliette, whose totally unconventional form baffled contemporary critics (and has continued to trouble some) but won Wagner's whole-hearted admiration. It was, as JW elucidates in his exemplary notes, an imaginative translation into musical terms of Shakespeare's mixture within the same play of the tragic and comic, of action and reflection; but it contains not a single line of Shakespeare, and owes much to the Ninth Symphony of another of Berlioz's idols, Beethoven. Descriptive or evocative orchestral movements roughly correspond to the first three of an orthodox symphony, but they are interspersed with a choral commentary (equivalent to the play's prologue) and an apostrophe of young love, and the finale is a programmatic sequence of vocal tableaux. Berlioz chose the orchestra, however, to carry the main weight of the work; and the Montreal orchestra, under Dutoit's clear-headed but sensitive direction, rise nobly to the occasion. They tear at full speed into the initial fugato depicting the conflict between the two Veronese families, are gossamer-light in the Queen Mab scherzo, and produce joyous buoyancy (while maintaining admirable articulation) in the ball scene. In the other orchestral movements Dutoit keeps a fine sense of proportion: Romeo's sighs are expressively delineated (with an appealing oboe solo in the Larghetto) without becoming over-emotional, and yearning rather than passion—no unneeded accelerandos and ritardandos, as with Barenboim (DG 2707 115, 10/80—nla)-characterizes the famous love scene, which vividly conjures up the atmosphere of a hot Italian night.

The work of the two choruses complements the high standard of the playing: particularly striking is the scene shortly before the end when, despite Friar Laurence's attempt to explain the tragedy calmly, a quarrel once more threatens to erupt between the families. Tom Krause makes a well poised and dignified Friar—a good dramatic presence, but not too operatic; and Alberto Cupido, instantaneously setting a quicksilver mood, is sparklingly alive in the early Mab scherzetto. Only Florence Quivar disappoints in her couplets about first love: her line is none too steady, and her higher notes tend to be sharp. At first one may be inclined to think that orchestra and chorus are set a trifle far back (presumably to avoid overloading in such tremendous bursts as at the final "Amis pour toujours!"), but the balance throughout is irreproachable, with the single exception that the trombone recitative depicting the prince's stern edict obscures other detail. This is a notable addition to Dutoit's continuing Berlioz cycle. L. S.

BRAHMS. CHORAL SONGS.

ELGAR. CHORAL SONGS. Ionian Singers Timothy Salter. Libra Real Sound

LRS1 42. English texts included.

Brahms: Op. 93a—No. 3, 0 susser Mai; No. 5,

Der Falke. Op. 42—No. 1, Abendstanchen; No. 2,

Vineta, No. 3, Darthulas Grabesgesang. Op. 62—

No. 41 Dein Herzlein mild. Op. 104—No. 1,

Nachte Wache I; No 3, Letztes Gliick; No 4, Ver lorene Jugend; No. 5, Im Herbst. Elgar: Feasting

I watch, Op. 45 No. 5. Weary wind of the west.

The prince of sleep. The fountain, Op. 71 No. 2.

Go, song of mine, Op. 57. There is sweet music,

Op. 53 No. 1. 0 wild west wind, Op. 53 No. 3

In times gone by the pairing of Brahms and Elgar would have seemed a little strange; and it is a measure of Elgar's current reputation that we simply accept him now as a great late-romantic composer in the way that we have always regarded Brahms. Both composers wrote music of high quality for unaccompanied chorus and Timothy Salter has devised here an attractively varied cassette-only programme.

The Ionian Singers present a fresh, youthful sound image. Sopranos have a clear, choirboylike tone almost without vibrato and they seem more numerous than their colleagues in the other voice ranges, so that the treble line becomes a trifle over-dominant and the lower parts occasionally fail to register adequately. Apart from the odd moment of insecurity here and there the singing is technically good and it has an attractively vital, buoyant quality. The performers are set fairly well back in a hall with a generous acoustic and this makes for a pleasing sound, though there is a certain lack of clarity as a result.

The tape transfer has been made at a high level—on my machine the VU meters showed occasional signs of panic in loud passages and traces of distortion were certainly audible. A. S.

BRITTEN. SACRED CHORAL MUSIC. aSioned Williams (hp); Westminster Cathedral Choir / David Hill with bJames O'Donnell (org). Hyperion digital CD A66220; LEI KA66220; CD CDA66220 (to be reviewed later). Texts included

A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 281, Missa brev,s, Op. 63". A Hymn to the Virgin (1934) A Hymn of St Columba (1962). Jubilate Deo in E flat major (1961 )b Deus in adlutorium meum.

The approaching procession in A Ceremony of Carols, vividly effective, sets the tone of confidence which rings through the performance. The balance of harp and voices is admirable, with enough separation to make the interplay of tone qualities particularly fetching. At times the hardsurfaced tone of the boys seems to evoke a suggestion of edge from the harp too. In fact, though, the choristers produce many kinds of tone throughOut the piece. At particularly dramatic moments they sharpen their knives, but the reverberation of their tone as it goes off down the nave sings round and true. The solo work is unusually mature. For this one work alone, the record is strongly recommended, but there is much else besides. The boys' ability to harden their voices as required serves them well in the Missa brevis, in which the synchronization with the organ is thoroughly secure at all times. Speeds are nicely judged and every detail is clear—so keep the volume fairly well up so as not to miss any of it. Boys and men together make a bright strong blend, but it becomes a little harder to hear the words. The Jubilate Deo here recorded is a fairly recent publication. I find it a better setting than the well-known C major one. A record full of character and not to be missed.

G.

CHARPENTIER. In nativitatem Domini nostri Jesus * Christi—canticum, H41 6. Sur la naissance de noire Seigneur Jesus Chrism—pastorale, H482.

Les Arts Florissants Vocal and Instrumen- tal Ensemble / William Christie. Harmonia

Mundi CD ® HMC90 5130 (49 minutes), Texts included. From HM5130 (1/84).

My Christmas would be greatly enhanced were Ito be fortunate enough to find this CD amongst the nuts and tangerines in the stocking hanging at the end of my bed. Both works performed here are concerned with the Christmas story and together they present contrasting sides of Charpentier's style. One of them, the Latin oratorio, In nativitatern Doniini nosiri Jesus Christi, betrays the strong Italian influence to which Charpentier had been exposed in his youth; the other, Sur la naissance de noire Seigneur Jesus Christ, is a Christmas 'pastorale' with a French text, more intimate and less formal than the other and more markedly in a French musical idiom. Both works are quite irresistable to me, the music is both joyful in spirit and tender in expression. The voices of Les Arts Florissants are on vintage form with affecting contributions from both Dominique Visse (alto), and Agnes Mellon (soprano); but instruments, too, play an important role in both works, the Latin oratorio containing an orchestral movement of haunting beauty, "La nuit". I think it would he hard to find two works better equipped than these to impart the beguiling charms of the composer. The recorded sound is marginally clearer on the CD issue than it was on the LP, but I'm afraid that if your preference is for the new format you must forego translations of the texts which occur only in the booklet accompanying the LP. A pity, this, since the CD booklet could easily have accommodated them. Joyeux Noel! N.

HANDEL. Brockes Passion. Martin Klietmann * (ten) Evangelist; lstván Gâti (bar) Jesus, Maria Zadori (sop) Daughter of Zion; Drew Minter (alto) Judas; Katalin Farkas (sop) Faithful Soul, Third Servant; Guy de May (ten) Faithful Soul, Peter; Gunther Burzynski (bar) Faithful Soul, Pilate, A centurion, Eva Bàrtfai- Barth (sop) Mary, Second Servant; Peter Bajàn (alto) John, A soldier; Tamás Csányi (alto) James, Caiphas, Eva Lax (contr) First Servant; János Bándi (ten); Halle Statdtsingechor; Capella Savaria / Nicholas McGagan. Hungaroton/Conifer digital ® SLPD1 2734/6 (three records, nas); MK1 2734/6; Q HCD1 2734/62 (151 minutes). Notes, text and translation included.

Barthold Hinrich Brockes was a prolific poet of the early-German Enlightenment. From a literary standpoint Brockes's most important and, indeed, voluminous work—nine sturdy volumes—is his Irdisches Vergnugen in Gott ("Earthly Contentment in God"). Handel's Nine German Arias, if you recall, come From the first two volumes of the collection. For many eighteenth-century composers, however, the importance of Brockes as a writer lay in his Passion oratorio libretto, Derfiir die Slinden der Welt gemarlerte und sterhende Jesus ("Jesus, martyred and dying for the wickedness of the world"). It was published in 1712 and almost at once was Set to music by the Hamburg composer Reinhard Keiser; other settings Followed during Brockes's lifetime notably by Telemann, Mattheson, StOlzel, Fasch and the present one by Handel which belongs to the years 1716-17.

Brockes's text is a paraphrase of the Passion story based on the accounts provided in the Four Gospels. It might not appear, on the face ofit, that an approach such as that could offer the poet much in the way of an original contribution, yet an expressive individuality does emerge from the many contemplative numbers as well as solemnity and a grandeur of design which are in accordance with a prevailing spirit of the period. There is also, a rather indulgent pietistic element in the text which cloys after a short while and Brockes, furthermore, seldom loses an opportunity to moralize. Nevertheless, his images are striking and evidently ofa kind that made appeal to composers of the late Baroque. There is not much scope here, of course, for the kind of imagery at which Brockes excelled, a minute depiction of the world about him amounting almost to a divinization of nature. Much of the sentiment expressed here is frankly commonplace and, at times, banal to twentiethcentury sensibilities, but as I say, it served its purpose several times over and was highly regarded in Handel's time. Handel, it goes almost without saying, never stoops to illustrating the banalities of the text, preferring to concentrate on injecting some much-needed drama into the sequence of events. The success with which he does so is, perhaps, a little uneven, but there are some grand and memorable gestures here, all the same.

The present performance begins with a Sinfonia belonging to what is considered to be the earliest of the sources; Handel's autograph has not survived. Two of its movements later found their way into the Concerto grosso, op. 3 No. 2. What follows is a sequence of recitatives, arias, choruses and chorales. The Evangelist and other persons in the drama concerned with narrative dialogue sing in recitative, mainly secco but sometimes accompagnalo. The four-part choruses provide the turbo element and the reflective numbers, far and away the most prominent feature in the work, are set in a variety of ways. The chorales occupy a comparatively small part of Brockes's scheme and generally occur at the end of major events in the Passion story.

Commentators are, on the whole, lukewarm in their assessment of Handel's Brockes Passion. None of the choruses is as impressive as those found in the English oratorios and only a few of the arias, perhaps, possess Handelian distinction or might be described as distinctively 1-landelian.

916

This new performance, however, has persuaded me that there is more of note in the music than I had previously realized. Nicholas McGegan directs a stylish and lively account of the oratorio having at his disposal a largely first-rate group of soloists and an effective if not always polished orchestra. The weak element is the chorus but I hasten to add that it was never so weak as significantly to mar my enjoyment. In fact the timbre of the upper voices, especially, is delightfully fresh but they lack strength in projection and at times fall into untidy ensemble. Occasionally this is true of the orchestra though there are many instances of fine ensemble playing and eloquent solo and concertino contributions. The string playing in Jesus's aria, "Mein Vater, mein Vater! Schau, wie ich mich quale" is just one of such instances.

Amongst the soloists there are none that I would describe as inadequate and several that are first-rate. Martin Klietmann's Evangelist, a tenor role, wins my highest admiration. His diction is clear, his intonation dependable, and his articulation of the text affecting. His entire approach, together with a slightly nasal quality, places him firmly and, at times, uncannily in the Helmut Krebs vocal tradition. Krebs was, for me, the finest interpreter of the Evangelist's role in the Bach Passions and Klietmann sounds an impressive successor to him. Istvhn Gáti's Jesus is also strong and persuasive. Best known to UK audiences will be the tenor, Guy de Mey who sings the roles of a Faithful Soul and of Peter. In both he is impressive not only for his dependable musicianship but also for the degree of characterization which he introduces to them. His slightly menacing "Erwäg', ergrimmte Natterbrut", introduces Just the right amount of colouring to this section of the text concerning original sin, albeit a mild example of Brockes's taste for extravagant images. In contrast with that, Guy de Mey's Peter conveys an effective anxiety, the inner conflict, on one hand, and a reflective lyricism such as we find in the poignant "Schau, ich fall' in strenger Busse", on the other. Drew Minter gives a fine account of the role of Judas and Maria Zádori's Daughter of Zion is also impressive. The remaining role of prominence is that of a Faithful Soul— there are four of them altogether. Katalin Farkas has an attractive voice and an impressive technique but she, alone, amongst the soloists finds difficulty in settling in the centre of her notes. She and the orchestra are too often at odds where. pitch is concerned and, though it is a small matter, not enough, perhaps, to give rise to serious concern, it is especially noticeable in a context where other singers are so dependable.

To sum up, the solo singing, the stylish approach, the lively and affectionate direction have resulted in a splendid achievement. Martin Klietmann, Guy de Mey and István Ghti have ensured for me the indispensability of this set. It is very well recorded with an effective resonance which never blurs detail. The booklet contains full texts in several languages. Warmly recommended.

N.A.

HANDEL (ed. Tobin) Messiah—excerpts. Dame * Kiri Te Kanawa (sop); Anne Gjevang (contr); ® Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra / Sir Georg Solti. Decca digital ® 417 449-1 OH; 417 449-4DH; (D 417 449-2DH (48 minutes). From 414 396-2DH2 (5/85).

For unto us a Child is born; Pastoral Symphony; There were shepherds, abiding in the fields. And lo, the angel of the Lord, And the angel said unto them; And suddenly there was with the angel; Glory to God, Rejoice greatly; Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, He shall feed His flock; His yoke is easy; How beautiful are the feet; Hallelujah; I knoweth that my Redeemer liveth; If God be for us; Worthy is the Lamb; Amen.

This selection ofar.is and choruses is an unashamed vehicle for the voice Of Dai1e Kin; and Handel, fluttery figuration and ornamentation and all, draws out the eager child in her, disarmingly subjective in her recitatives, impatient to Rejoice with the daughters of Jerusalem. Anne Gjevang, a real old-style contralto, gets a brief look-in with an earnest "He shall feed His flock"; Sir Georg is at his most relaxed and benign (some times rather too much so); and there is something undeniably likeable about the Chicago Symphony Chorus, with their gently buoyant, finely-shaped singing, with its fresh transatlantic verbal tints. A Messiah for the stocking, not for the archive.

H.

HAYDN. Mass in C major, "Missa St Caecilia" * Judith Nelson (sop); Margaret Cable (conir), Martyn Hill (ten); David Thomas (bass); Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford; Academy of Ancient Music / Simon Pres- ton. L'Oiseau-Lyre Florilegium CD ® 417 12520H (68 minutes) Text and translation included From DSL0583/4 (3/81).

I share RF's pleasure in this performance, particularly in respect of the boys' clarity, mentioned in the original review (it has since been issued on a single LP—reviewed in October). It's not the easiest thing to keep the Haydn pot aboiling with an all-male choir of about 30 voices pitted against an orchestra of roughly the same size. Although the instruments have the advantage and rightly so, since they maintain continuity, in the CD version there is a sense of choir and players being side by side rather than in line astern. This gives a delightfully effortless feeling, particularly in the more strenuous passages. The soloists shine forth in glory, though David Thomas's first few notes are somewhat chilling, warming up in company. The general spirited bounce is infectious, the more so for being so clear. G. R.

HAYDN. Mass in B flat mator, "Harmon lemesse"a ® Salve regina in G minor5. aErna Spoorenberg, bArleen Auger (sops); °Helen Watts, 5A1freda Hodgson (contrs); 'Alexander Young, bAnthony Rolfe Johnson (tens). 8Joseph Rouleau, bGwynne Howell (basses); aBrian Runnett (org); bjohfl Birch (cons); aSt John's College Choir. Cambridge; bLondon Chamber Choir; 'Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Georg Guest; bArgo Chamber Orchestra / Laszlo Heltay, Argo 0 417 3051ZM; 417 305-4ZM. Item marked a from ZRG51 5 (12/66), bZRG91 7/18 (5/80).

HAYDN. Mass in B flat major, "Schopfungsmesse"8.

® Mass in B flat major, "Kleineorgelmesse"b. aAprjl Cantelo, bJennjfer Smith (sops); aHelen Watts (contr), aRobert Tear (ten); °Forbos Robinson (bass); aStephen Cleobury, "John Sàott (orgs); St John's College Choir. Cam- bridge; Academy of St Martin in the Fields / George Guest, Argo® 417307-1 ZM; LEI 417 307-4ZM. Item marked a from ZRG598 (3/69), bZRG867 (10/78).

Each of these records yokes one of Haydn's last two Masses recorded in the 1960s (a side and a half each) with a small-scale work recorded much later in the 1970s. The long Masses contain music of great nobility and astonishing energy, but they are not so well performed or so well balanced. In the Creation Mass the violins make little impact when the chorus is at work, and though the Harmoniemesse is better balanced the overall sound is not very impressive. Furthermore, the two late Masses are taken too fast so that there is hardly any relaxation. (A Hungaroton LP recording of the Harrnoniemesse—SLPD 12360, 12/83--conducted by Ferencsik takes nearly two minutes longer on each section than Guest.) On the Argo records the strings play with high skill, but the endless bustling in very quick semiquavers becomes tedious. To some extent Haydn is to blame, and now and then he seems to be composing against the words instead of in their support. "Donna nobis pacem" at the end of the Creation Mass is loud and triumphant, and not in the least like a prayer. Yet there is superb music here, if only one were given time to savour it. The soloists are goodish, Alexander Young outstanding in the Creation Mass (so-called because there is a brief, inexplicable quote from the oratorio in the Gloria).

The two short works are entrancing. The Salve regina ( 177 1 ) has four short movements in which a small organ dominates the accompaniment. The one used here has just the right baroque quality. Haydn wrote the work for the Eisenstadt chapel, expected a mere handful of strings and seems not to have objected when it was later suggested that for some sections the choir might replace the four soloists, which they do here. Laszlo Heltay avoids hurrying, and allows you time to relish the music. This is, as it were, chamber music for performance in church. The Li/tie Organ Mass is similarly accompanied. Here Haydn scampers charmingly through the Kyrie, Gloria and Credo apparently so that he would have time to extend himself in the less solemn Benedictus and Agnus Dei. The solo in the Benedictus is sung with exquisite clarity of. tone by Jennifer Smith. Haydn does keep the words in mind in these two tiny masterpieces, but if you want the two great Masses, it might be wise to wait for better recordings. R. F.

LASSUS. Lagrime di San Pietro. Feronc Liszt * Academy of Music Chamber Choir / lstvân Párkai. Hungaroton/Conifer©® HCD12081-2 (57 minutes). Text included. From SLPX1 2081/2 (11/80).

Remarkable man Orlande de Lassus, born around 1532 and yet the notes claim (in both English and French) that this, his last work dates from 1954! Fortunately the German translation corrects it to 1594, the year of his death. This chamber choir is performing in a hard, lively acoustic, giving an often distressing glassy edge to the trebles when extended; e.g. the ending of Track 6. There is sufficient blurring to make the Latin words difficult to follow, even with the text, especially in some of the layered, counterpointed passages. I recognize this as a specialized interest, but I found the repeated striking of high voices, then to descend in various contrived manners, to be both depressing and monotonous.

GEOFFREY HORN.

MOZART. CONCERT ARIAS. Kathleen Battle * (sop); Royal Philharmonic Orchestra I André Previn. EMI (D ® CDC7 47355-2 (55 minutes). Texts and translations included. From

HMV EL270406-1 (10/86).

Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio. K41 8. Exsultate, jubilate, 1(165. IL RE PASTOR E—L'amerO, sarO constante (with Barry Griffiths, vn). Basta, vincesti . . . Ah non lasciarmi, K486a. Un moto di gioia, K579. Ch'io mi scordi di te . . . Non temer, amato bene, K490 (Dinah Harris, sop; Griffiths). Misera! dove son.. . AhI non son io, 1(369.

It was perhaps unfortunate that I had been reading AB's report on the LP only the evening before I received the CD. Deliberately I put it aside for a couple of weeks but it has made no difference. "Well-tailored" and "good-mannered" AB called it and I know what he meant. The recording is pretty uninspired too, with a rather cloudy, breathy voice quality on top of an accompaniment which also lacks those sparkling contrasts which make Mozart live.

GEOFFREY HORN.

MOZART. Mass in F major, Ki 921. Epistle Sonata in F * major, K224/241 as. Vesperae solennes de con -fessore, 1(339c, °°Mâria Zédori (sop); acPaul Esswood (alto); acAlexander Oliver (ten); aCLAszlô Polgar (bass); 4stvân Ella (org); acJeunesses Musicales Chorus; Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra / Ivan Fischer.

Hungaroton/Conifer (D ® HCD12235-2 (56 minutes). Notes, texts and translations included. From SLPX1 2235 (4/81).

Vesperae solennes—comparative CD version:

LSO, C. Davis (3/86) 412 873-2PH

This is one of those records, familiar to all reviewers, which has so many points in its favour that one doesn't want to be uncomplimentary, as I suspect RG also found when reviewing the LP, and I entirely agree with his comments. He appreciated the solo singing, the chorus and the orchestra but felt compelled to add of the conducting of the Mass, "it often tends to be too gentle in spirited movements"; and about the Vesperae, "again one is conscious of a lack of vigour and drive in the performance". I must add that though the feeling of warmth and devotion to which he also referred may have been acceptable on LP, when it comes to the performance on CD, where clarity is an asset to be expected, I find the Sort of sound better described as rather smudgy and somewhat on the dim side.

Davis on his Philips record ofthe Vesperae has a more varied programme of smaller works, some more familiar and others less so—the setting of

Ex.tuilale jubilate, Ave verum corpus and the moving and deeply felt Kyrie in D minor, K341, in which the sleeve-note rightly refers to its "solemn splendour". He also has Dame Kiri Te Kanawa! The performances are splendid (no need to equivocate here) with their drive, when drive is needed, and their emotion when that is called for; also, the kind of clarity one expects on Compact Disc. T. H.

ORFF. Carmina burana. Sheila Armstrong (sop); * Gerald English (ten); Thomas Allen (bar); St Clement Danes Grammar School Boys Choir; London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra / André Previn. EMI (D ® CDC7 47411-2 (63 minutes). Text and translation included. Digitally remastered from H MV ASD31 17 (10/75).

Selected CD comparisons:

LSO, Mate (5/84) RCD1 4550

Philh, Muti (4/85) CDC747100-2

Among the digitally recorded versions of Orif's cantata, Mat.a's RCA version is, all in all, the best recommendation, the sound both brilliant and atmospheric, the work well paced, volatile and imaginative. The soloists too are impressive with, to quote EG, "Barbara Hendricks's sensuous soprano tone beautifully caught". Muti's is an analogue original and the CD transfer has not added anything. In fact, as EG pointed out, there is "just a suspicion that the LP is more open".

Now along comes Previn's mid-seventies analogue version to sweep the board. This time the EMI engineers have a marked success on their hands. The edge and the bite of the original are enhanced, and the remaining hiss is cleverly controlled so that silent pauses remain silent and one only notices the background slightly in some of the quieter vocal solos in the latter parts of the work. The performance is a triumph, with a wonderful swagger, seductive rhythmic pointing and a life-enhancing sense of joy conveyed in all life's earthly pleasures (indeed, the boys of St Clement Danes obviously relish their participation in the joys of "Courtly Love"). The soloists, too are splendid, Thomas Allen especially fine, but Sheila Armstrong and Gerald English also characterizing strongly. The vigorous singing of the main chorus is superbly projected and the range of mood is wide, conveying wit and quality as well as an exuberant bite. There are 25 access cues— absolutely vital in this piece to find one's way about. Also a plus point: RG's notes are excellent. However, the fat little booklet with its text and translation is not too easy to remove from its plastic case because of its bulk. 1. M.

M. PRAETORIUS. CHRISTMAS MUSIC. West- minster Cathedral Choir; The Parley of Instruments I David Hill. Hyperion digital ®

A66200; KA66200; (D CDA66200 (to be reviewed later). Texts and translations included.

Polyhymnia caduceatrix et panegyrica (1618 19)—No. 9, Von Himmel hoch; No. 10, Wie schOn Ieuchtet der Morgenstern; No. 12, Puer natus in Bethlehem; No. 17, Nun komm der

Heiden Heiland. Puericinium (1621)—No. 2,

Quem pastores laudavere; No. 4, Pueri nostri con cinite (Singet und linget); No, 5, Nun helf't mir

Gottes Gütte schon preisen. Musae Sioniae VI (1609)—No. 53. Es ist ein Ros'entsprungen.

Terpsichore (1612)—Dances: No. 1, Bransle a 5;

Nos. 283-85, Passameze a 5, two Galliardes a 5;

No. 310, Reprinse secundam inferiorem a 4. That Praetorius's church music is so little known today is partly because there is so much of it; the Musae Sioniae alone contains some 1,244 motets, all inspired by a Lutheran approach. Between the publication of that collection in 1609, and his death at Wolfenbuttel in 1621 at the age of 50, Praetorius was much influenced by the new Italian style, and particularly by the Venetian polychoral motets of the Gabrielis. It is these late pieces, taken from the Polyhymnia caduceairix et panegyrica of 1618-19 and the Puericinium of 1621, that make up the major part of the director of The Parley of Instruments, Peter Holman's selection. Praetorius was not the first composer working in Germany to draw upon the style (Hans Leo Hassler had already been inspired by it), but the importance of his skilful fusion of the Italian baroque idiom with the traditional Lutheran chorale has certainly been overshadowed by the church music of Heinrich Schütz. It is an imbalance that this new record will help to correct. Schütz's music was written for professional court ensembles; Praetorius, on the other hand, was composing for amateur choirs. It is this fact as well as questions of tradition and religious function that explains the central importance of the chorale in these pieces. The bright, clear and firm singing of the Westminster Cathedral Choir is ideal for the ripieno choruses which are such a feature of these works, and the choir is expertly, and imaginatively supported by The Parley of Instruments. Incidentally, the instrumentalists play on stringed instruments of contemporary design which produce a viol-like sound (with rather more edge) that is distinctly different from the characteristic late-baroque tone. Praetorius's wish that his music be accessible is even more evident in the pieces from the Puericinium, all of which rely on contrast between verses for four solo boys' voices and a refrain chorus. And it is the boys who come out so well on this record, with only very occasional ragged edges or uncertainties of pitch. The rather intimate spirit of the music has been well conveyed in the recording, though there is a tendency for the upper line to predominate. In short, this is a welcome addition to the catalogue; largely simple and well-crafted music sensitively performed and recorded, IF.

SCHOECK. Notturno, Op. 47. Ian Caddy (bassbar); Bochmann Quartet (Michael Bochmann, David Angel. vns; Martin Outram, Va; Michel Kaznowski, ye). Meridian (F3 E77130. Texts and translations included.

Like his slightly younger compatriot Frank Martin, Othmar Schoeck enjoys the allegiance of the few rather than the acclaim of the many. The great Swiss composer is, with his Finnish contemporary Kilpinen, the last representative of the Lied after Wolf and has more than 400 to his credit—and what songs many of them are! The centenary of his birth this year has passed relatively unremarked, so far as the record world is concerned, though the BBC have broadcast a number of programmes devoted to him. The Cello Concerto is the only major work in the LP catalogue and he has no present listing on Compact Disc.

The Notiurno is one of his finest and most important works, a setting of poems by Nikolaus Lenau for baritone and string quartet that occupied him between 1931-33, though as was the case in his other Lenau cycles, the Elegie, op. 36, and the Nachhaii, Op. 70, he ends the set with another poet—in this case Gottfried Keller. Ian Caddy commands a fine, well-focused tone and produces a well-controlled and finely shaped line though I would have welcomed a greater variety of colour and a wider dynamic range. One has only to compare him with Fischer-Dieskau (CBS 72687, II! 68—nla) at the beginning of the third poem, "Der schwere Abend" (fig. 50-57) to see how striking the difference in characterization is. The highly chromatic part-writing and angular melodic lines pose problems for the players not all of which are satisfactorily resolved. Mind you, the Bochmann Quartet are not helped by a forward, exposed balance which does not show them in the happiest light, but the sonority that they produce is not always so integrated or well-blended as some rival English groups, nor is it always distinguished by great tonal beauty. However, certain things come off well, such as the con sordino opening of the second movement.

Readers who have the old Fischer-Dieskau set with the Juilliard Quartet need not make the change but collectors wanting this wonderful powerfully introspective score should note that there is no current alternative in the domestic catalogue. R. L.

SCHOECK. (Jnter Sternen—song cycle. Op. 55. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (bar), Hartmut HölI (of). Claves/D Sharp digital ® D8606; (D CD50 8606 (to be reviewed later). Notes and texts included.

The two books of Unier Siernen comprise some 25 songs in all. It was begun late in 1941 when Schoeck was suffering from severe depression, and finished early in 1943. Like the iVoiiurno and Lehendig begraben, it Sets poems by Gottfried Keller: indeed, the score is inscribed to his memory. The themes of Unier Sternen are night, the stars, eternity and death, much the same as those that preoccupied Schoeck in Noilurno. Each of the books is divided into two groups, the first dwells on the theme of the night and the stars, and includes the song from which the cycle takes its name. The second consists of seven songs on the theme of nature, and the first introduces the theme of death, which dominates the remaining two groups.

In his invaluable study, The Song Cycles of Othmar Schoeck (Bern: 1982, p. 482), Dr Derrick Puffett speaks of the cycle as "a cry of despair and an affirmation of certain things he had always believed in—nature, poetry and individual courage". He speaks of it as of a consistently higher quality than any other of the big collections, and I think for most readers coming to it afresh, it will be little short of a revelation. The most immediately appealing of the songs, like "Trubes Wetter" or "In der Trauer", have a haunting beauty, concentration of mood and subtle craftsmanship, while the cycle when played as a whole leaves an impression that grows stronger with each hearing.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau has been a loyal champion of Schoeck's music, and in 1956 recorded a memorable recital in honour of his seventieth birthday (DG) and a wonderful account of Lebendig begraben (also on DG) which I see advertised for reissue on the Claves label, as well as the CBS Nourno mentioned above. He has lost none of his subtle artistry, insight and intelligence but, alas, time takes its toll, and the voice shows uncharacteristic signs of strain and there is some considerable loss of bloom and timbre throughout the register. His partner, Hartmut Höll is an inspired and masterly player. The digital sound is extremely vivid and present, and the surfaces so silent that one could be persuaded that one was listening to a Compact Disc. Each hearing of these wonderful songs has sharpened my regret that this great artist had not recorded them before. R. L.

SCHUBERT. Winterreise. Sir Peter Pears (ten): ® Benjamin Britten (pf). Decca ® 417 473 1DM: LEI 417 473.4DM From SET270/71 (7/65). Texts and translations included.

SCH U BERT. Winterreise. Dietrich Fischer-Dies- * kau (bar): Alfred Brendel (pf). Philips digital ® 411 463-1 P1-I: LEI 411 463-4PH: cJ3 411 4632PH (70 minutes). Texts and translations included.

Selected comparisons:

Hotter, Moore LP (1/61) (R) 2C 151 01274/5

Fischer-Dieskau, Moore W (9/85) 4151 87-2GH

Schreier, Richter LP (2/86) 416194-1 PH2 (t(3/86) 416 289-2PH2

Since Fischer-Dieskau and Brendel performed the work on television and at Covent Garden (an unforgettable occasion), their account of Winierreise has been eagerly awaited on record. There are advocates of each of Fischer- Dieskau's five earlier recordings. I have admired them all myself in turn, indeed waxed rather lyrical over the latest DO version with Barenboim (2707 118, 11/80) and, in its CD form, over the later (1972) of the readings with Gerald Moore, which I think remains the most 'central' performance of the five (also DG).

I began to listen to this record with some foreboding as the baritone's most recent offerings, generally with Brendel, have shown wear and tear on the voice which could not be overlooked. It cannot be overlooked here in several climaxes where he goes through his now frayed lone. But I feet there is something so special about the partnership that the frailties have to be forgotten in appreciation of the sustained inspiration of the

Alfred Brendel and Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau [photo: Philips/Diaz whole. Something, no doubt Brendel—as in the live accounts—has fired Fischer-Dieskau to even greater insights into the traveller's desperate situation and to give phrases such as "wie weit nich his sum Bahre!" (repeated) in "Der greise Kopf" an even sadder, more drained inflection than in the past. The reading is basically the same in tempo and phrasing, but below the surface there seems even more concentration on the plight of the forsaken lover. It remains an intensely subjective performance, peppered with spat-out consonants and pointed emphases, but the detail, at speeds perhaps a shade quicker than in the past, are here marvellously integrated into the whole.

Brendel's achievement has been to illumine many a phrase with a fresh mind without ever making us aware of specific point-making. The sheer simplicity of the insistent accompaniments to "Im Dorfe" and "Der Wegweiser", the gentle lift given to "Die Post", the pointing of the staccato in "Letzte Hoffnung", and the many places where a counter-melody is given the benefit of this player's lean legato make his contribution as good a reason as any for hearing this record.

His creative playing makes an absorbing comparison with Britten's in the famous Decca performance, now issued for the first time—and at mid-price (why no CD?)—on a single LP. The imagination at work is just as vital, but I have of late, in making my comparisons, found the effects just a little too calculated, the detail just a little too meticulous Listen to "Gefrorne Trnen"—and you will either agree or think that my view is lésemajeslé. Pears, for all his wonderful accents and lyrical eloquence, can seem a little affected, and wanting in ideal German vowels, particularly beside my recommended version by a tenor—the recent Gramophone Award-winning Schreier/ Richter performance on Philips. But that is an expensive proposition (on two discs) and it is probably ungrateful on my part not to welcome more unreservedly what many consider a classic reading, sounding as if it had been recorded yesterday rather than more than 20 years ago.

I suppose I return most often to Hotter (on a Pathé Marconi/Conifer import—so unobtrusively moving) and Schreier for my own listening, but I am convinced I shall want to hear quite often the latest Fischer- Dies kau, not least for Brendel's contribution. Incidentally, the balance, excellent on LP, is even more lifelike on Compact Disc.

A. B.

TALLIS. ENGLISH ANTHEMS. Talus Scholars / * Peter Phillips. Gimell digital ® 1585-07, 1585T-07: Q CDGIM007 (39 minutes). Texts included.

If ye love me. Hear the voice and prayer. A new commandment. 0 Lords, give thy holy spirit. Purge me, 0 Lord. Verily, verily I say unto you. Remember not. 0 Lord God. Out from the deep. 0 Lord, in Thee is all my trust. Christ rising again. Blessed are those that be undefiled. Psalm Tunes—Nine Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter.

Ever since their first record, some ten years ago, Peter Phillips and the Tallis Scholars have devoted much of their best music-making to the works of Tallis himself, and they have made earlier recordings of some of the pieces here. But there are several reasons why it made sense to present Tallis's complete surviving English 'anthems' as a unit. Among the large quantity of somewhat formalized music that was composed for the earliest years of the English church, these works stand out as astonishingly vital and varied; and the spate of Tallis records issued over the past few decades has propelled him into the position of a composer whose every note can be treasured as an important and vibrant component of our musical heritage. He may have left far fewer works than Byrd or even Sheppard, but the intensity and richness of his musical message is everywhere present in what survives, even in the works that look relatively simple on paper—which, by and large, means the pieces recorded here.

Moreover, Peter Phillips really has the measure of the music. That appears not only in the phrasing and the tempos, but also in the balance and the pitch levels at which he chooses to perform the music—chosen less according to the formulas which used to be so much in fashion, but more in line with the needs of the singers he chooses to employ. Briefly stated, a record that looks a little forbidding turns out to be riveting from end to end. There may be a slight disappointment for some in that women are used where boys would have been more appropriate, there is no attempt at appropriate pronunciation of the texts and little evidence of awareness that hymn-tunes and ensemble songs, for example, demand quite different kinds of singing. But everything is so elegantly done and so persuasive that the record positively compels you to return to it again and again.

it (and the sleeve-note should have said so); but it is illuminating to hear the piece alongside the solidly attributed music. Perhaps it would have been right to sing more than just a single stanza of each of those astonishing tunes that Talus composed for Archibishop Parker's psalter, but that too is a matter of judgement: the brief statement of one tune after another gives an overwhelming impression ofTallis's inventive range in so apparently restricted a genre. D. F.

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS. SONGS Benjamin Luxon (bar); David WiIIison (pt). Chandos digital ® ABRD1186; LEI ABTD1186, (D CHAN8475 (to be reviewed later).

Songs of Travel. Four Last Songs—No. 2, Tired.

In the Spring Linden Lea. Four Poems by Frede gond Shove. The House of Life—six sonnets

Your enjoyment of this welcome recording containing songs by Vaughan Williams will depend on how worried you are by Benjamin Luxon's wide and continual vibrato throughout the Songs of Travel. It is less noticeable in the Rossetti cycle, The House of Lift. The recording was made at the Snape Maltings and is admirably clear, so clear that every breath the singer takes is preserved.

I am an unrepentant admirer of the Songs of Travel, each of which is a gem of melody and shows an aspect of the maturing Vaughan Williams style as it passed from the early romanticism represented by the Rossetti cycle to the wider visionary scope appropriate to Whitman. Luxon's performance captures both the vigour and tenderness of the songs. Ideally "The infinite shining heavens" should be more rapturous and some of the poignancy of "Bright is the ring of words" is missing. On the other hand, "Whither must I wander?" which can sometimes seem the weakest of the set, is given with a special freshness.

The Rossetti songs are more uneven, though the justly famous "Silent noon", beautifully sung here, is among them. But, as in the Stevenson Songs of Travel, there is particular interest in the piano accompaniments, which refute the allegation that VW had no understanding of the instrument, especially when they are played with the brilliance and finesse brought to them by David Willison. The record also includes the four settings, dating from 1925, of poems by Fredegond Shove, dreadful poems but transcended by the music. "The new ghost" and "The water mill" are well known, but "Motion and stillness" continues the vein of "Silent noon". M. K.

ARIA AND SONG RECITAL. NellyMiricioiu (sop); David Harper (pf). Etcetera/Harmonia Mundi digital® ETC1041; LaJ XTC1041. Texts and translations included. Recorded at a performance in the Wigmore Hall, London on June 20th, 1985.

Mozart: Vado, ma dove? Oh Dei?, K583. Duparc: L'irivitation au voyage. Soupir. Chanson triste. Granados: Tonadillos al Estilo AntiguoNo. 2, El Maio discrete; No. 3, Amor y odio. Three Tonadillos (La Maia dolorosa, Nos 1-3) Res- pighi: Notturno Pioggia Ma come potrei. L'uItima ebbrezza Invito alla danza H. Proch: Air and Variations: DehI torna mio bene. Puccini: LA RONDINE—Che, il ben sogno. TOSCA—Vissi d'aOe. Catalani: LA WALLY—Ebben? Ne andrô tontana.

Though this was a highly successful song recital, I fancy that it would be the operatic arias sung as encores that most people would have felt like writing home about. The Rondine aria, with its broad phrases arching to the high C, is a sure winner. The "Vissi d'arte" has the experience of a fine "Tosca al teatro" behind it and is sung with strong dramatic conviction. The nostalgic sadness of the aria from La Wally perhaps needs richer, more Italianate low notes, but the performance has both delicacy and boldness. Certainly it is followed by much applause and roaring on the part of the audience, who evidently went away well contented.

This is a powerful voice but one capable of a luscious softening. The Duparc songs, especially the Chanson irisie, have just the right combination of an intimate personal address and a slightly exotic thrill to the tone, telling of the underlying passion. In the Spanish group, where the passion is more overt, the lack of a well-rounded contralto tone in the low register robs the first and third of the Maja dolorosa songs of their warmth. Respighi's gentle melancholy suits her well, and the Invito al/a danza, its bold words tinged with wistfulness in the music, develops as an exquisite example of Mericioiu's art at its best. In the concert itself the programme included the Vocalises of Ravel and Rachmaninov: those should have been worth hearing (rather more, perhaps, than the rather too 'tubular' and formal Mozart which opened the recital). As it is, we have the Proch Variations, once the party-piece of Tetrazzini and company, sung here with affection for the melody and with the imagination to present the old warhorse as something better than a mere technical exhibition. David Harper accompanies admirably throughout, and the recording catches the atmosphere of the occasion well. I found some difficulty in making Out the words of the French songs but, all in all, much pleasure. J.B.S.

VICTORIA. CHORAL WORKS. Exon Singers I Christopher Tolley. Alpha/Abbey® ACA555. The Lamentations of Jeremiah for Holy Thursday. Mofets—Gaude Maria virgo; Ave Maria, gratia plena; Congratulamini mihi; Vadam at circuivi civitatem.

A recording of Victoria's verses from the Lamentations for Maundy Thursday is surely to be welcomed. Composed in three contrasting modes, the lessons lead to a fine climax at the