The first disc of that set featured Daniel Reuss www.danielreuss.com directing the RIAS Kammerchor. Reuss now conducts the Cappella Amsterdam
www.cappellaamsterdam.nl , Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir www.epcc.ee and
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra www.erso.ee
in
Poulenc’s Stabat Mater and Sept Répons des Ténèbres. On this new Harmonia Mundi
www.harmoniamundi.com release he is joined by soprano Carolyn
Sampson www.carolynsampson.com
an artist who is surely at the top of
her form.
 |
| HMC 902149 |
As one of the leading composers of his generation, Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was one of
the group of composers known as Les Six,
that included Georges Auric (1899-1983), Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), Darius
Milhaud (1892-1974), Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) and Louis Durey (1888-1979)
among their number. Poulenc's music is fundamentally tonal, although he made
use of harmonic innovations such as pandiatonicism (a technique of using the
diatonic scale without the limitations of functional tonality) and
chromatically altered chords.
Poulenc was born, in Paris, into a wealthy family, his father
Émile Poulenc being a director of a large pharmaceutical company. His mother
was a talented amateur pianist who began giving him piano lessons at age five.
Later Poulenc studied with a niece of César Franck, and then with the eminent Spanish
virtuoso Ricardo Viñes.
Poulenc became well known at age eighteen when his Rapsodie Nègre for baritone and chamber
ensemble made him an overnight sensation in France. After military service
Poulenc’s success continued with his ballet Les
Biches appearing in 1924. During the 1920’s and 1930’s he was extremely
prolific but it was his return to the Roman Catholic Church in 1936 that
brought many important religious works including two of the works featured on
this new release, his Stabat Mater of
1950 and Sept Répons des Ténèbres of
1961.
What a fine opening Poulenc gives to the Una hora non potuistis vigilare mecum of Sept Répons des Ténèbres pour soprano, chœur et orchestre, the
gently shifting orchestral sounds interspersed by violent orchestral outbursts
before the choir enters, slowly and gently. These are very fine choirs indeed,
responding so well to the text as the music suddenly drives forward. The
balance between choir and orchestra is ideal. In Judas Mercator pessimus, Daniel Reuss and his forces find the right
subtle balances in this very unecclesiastical piece that is full of energy with
so much suppressed feeling in the slow last line,’ It has been better for him
if he had never been born.’
Carolyn Sampson enters for the first time in Jesum tradidit impius. She has a lovely
tone – just listen to her gentle high notes – pure magic. There is some fine
orchestral and choral contribution and a fine brooding orchestral end. The
choir are top notch in the harmonic shifts of Poulenc’s writing for Caligaverunt oculi mei with Reuss
drawing out many lovely nuances. There is an exquisite coda from the orchestra.
It is a lovely moment when, in Tenebrae factae sunt, Carolyn Sampson enters against a still
orchestra followed by the choir. Again the balance of soloist, choir and
orchestra is very fine and, when the music builds, richly, for all forces it is
tremendous, as is the moment when the music falls again to just the soprano and
orchestra. There are so many fine moments in this piece. A brass chorale opens Sepulto Domino followed by a mellifluous
choir with occasional subtle varying of rhythm. As the music builds, the choir
gives some lovely rich, mellow textures, as well as dynamic, intense passages.
Ecce quomodo moritur
justis moves along with a purposeful tread for orchestra before the choir
join. Reuss is careful to find all the little subtleties and nuances that add
so much. Poulenc was a master at word setting with his music responding, often
violently, to the text. The coda is particularly lovely.
Next we come to Poulenc’s Stabat Mater pour soprano, chœur mixte et orchestra where, in the orchestral
opening of Stabat mater dolorosa,
Reuss finds just the right melancholy atmosphere before the male voices of the
choir enter together with exquisitely blended woodwind. Poulenc’s use of
various section of the choir is masterly and well pointed up here. Again Reuss finds
so many little subtleties.
There is some really fine choral singing in Cujus animam gementum, a dynamic
section, full of passion, yet Poulenc could suddenly slip into an unexpectedly
mysterious and quiet end. The choir gently enters alone in the opening of O quam tristis et afflicta with a gentle
blend of voices. The orchestra joins as this gentle section continues, subtly
pointed up in the bass.
Quae moerebat et
dolebat is one of Poulenc’s light and rather detached pieces though
gloriously sung. Quis est homo, qui non
fleret shakes us out of any complacency with passionate singing from the
choir and fine orchestral playing from the Estonian National Symphony
Orchestra, especially the fiery conclusion on the words Et flagellis subditum.
Carolyn Sampson re-joins for Vidit suum dulcem natum. How she sets her vocal line above the
choir is beautifully done as is the orchestral entry that, towards the end,
cuts through the melancholy tune. The mood, again, lightens and livens with Eja mater, fons amoris as the choir and
orchestra flow forward, surely Poulenc’s way of expressing consolation.
Fac ut ardeat cor meum
opens with the choir alone, at first ardent, then calmer with such finely
controlled singing. The men’s voices open Sancta
mater, istud agas before the whole choir enter on the words Crucifixi fige plagas. The orchestra drives
the choir along with a terrific fervour before the sudden dramatic turn at the
end. The orchestra sets out purposefully in Fac
ut portem Christi mortem with Poulenc’s distinctive plod in the bass before
the choir enters. Soon soprano, Carolyn Sampson, joins, gloriously rising with
choir and orchestra.
The orchestra fly into Inflammatus
et accensus quickly joined by the choir in perhaps the most dramatic
section of this work. This makes the sudden drop in tempo and dynamics all the
more telling before Reuss builds the music again leading straight into Quando corpus morietur, a quiet choral
section which quickly rises in drama with some fine choral singing. Carolyn
Sampson joins as the choir and orchestra head toward the final Paradisi Gloria which the choir alone
take. When the soprano, choir and orchestra weave together in Poulenc’s
inspired writing, Reuss realises this music beautifully. The bold final Amen heralds a decisive end with choir
and orchestra.
What a distinctive composer Poulenc was. These are two
glorious works that deserve to be in anyone’s collection. These two choirs
really are first rate with Daniel Reuss and the Estonian National Symphony
Orchestra making this a fine recommendation for these works.
They receive an excellently recorded made in the Estonia
Concert Hall, Tallin, there are excellent notes together with full texts and
translations.
No comments:
Post a Comment