 |
| ODE 1226-2 |
On this new release The Latvian Radio Choir http://radiokoris.lv/lv are directed by their Chief Conductor,
Sigvards Kļava http://radiokoris.lv/choir/sigvards-klava
with soloists Ieva Ezeriete (soprano) and Aleksandrs Antoņenko (tenor).
Founded in 1940, this full time professional choir is the
seven-time recipient of the Great Music award of the Latvian government and has
collaborated with such well-known names as Stephen Layton, Tönu Kaljuste, Lars
Ulrik Mortensen and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
The choir have made a number of recordings for Ondine
including Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil
and Liturgy of St. John Chrystostom,
Rautavaara’s Missa a Capella, and Pēteris
Vasks’ Plainscapes.
Russian composer and cellist, Yuri Falik (1936-2009) was born in Odessa where he studied cello
before moving to the Leningrad Conservatory where he studied with Alexander Shtrimer
(1888-1961). He later studied under the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich
(1927-2007) and Boris Arapov (1905-1992). As well as composition he taught
cello and instrumentation as well as directing the student’s chamber orchestra
at the Leningrad Conservatory.
His short choral work A
Stranger has the curious rhythm of a tango that moves quickly through all
the six verses of Aleksandr Blok’s poem in a highly attractive and impressively
sung setting.
Your Temple, Lord,
a setting of verses by Nikolay Gumilyov, brings some of the atmosphere of a
Russian Orthodox Church piece, complete with soprano rising over the choir in
this contemplative, beautifully conceived setting, beautifully sung by Ieva
Ezeriete and the choir.
A lovely rhythmic Habanera
sets verses by Igor Severyanin with the opening words ’In claret induced dreams I see rubies’
bringing a dramatic change of sentiment with its text. This choir are
particularly fine in these sorts of pieces, beautifully controlled and easily
able to cope with Falik’s sliding phrases.
Autumn returns us
to a reflective mood with the melancholy thoughts of Aleksandr Pushkin. Tenor, Aleksandrs
Antoņenko, sings over a wordless choir providing a very Russian sounding voice
before the choir bring a beautifully hushed end.
Latvian composer, Arturs
Maskats (b. 1957), was born in Valmiera and studied composition with
Valentins Utkins (1904-1995) at the Latvian State Conservatory. He has worked
closely with theatre, having written music for over one hundred productions. He
has been Chairman of the Latvian Composer’s Union as well as Music Director of
the Rainis Dailes Theatre and Latvian National Opera.
A soprano voice opens Let
My Prayer Be Granted high and ethereally, soon joined by the rest of the
choir in this entrancing work. This setting of psalm texts is shared between
the soloist and the choir with some lovely weaving of vocal sounds with moments
of pure magic. There is a dramatic section with timpani joining with a bass
voice bringing increasing passion. The music drops but rises again with the
choir providing a terrific sound. The soprano voice enters alone before the choir
intone with some beautiful vocal sounds before the gentle coda.
Spring, a setting
of verses by Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), brings a wordless opening from choir
with gentle bell chimes. Tenor, Aleksandrs
Antoņenko enters in this slow contemplation of spring that gently rises as the
choir takes over the text soon joined by Antoņenko. A climax is reached with
tenor providing much emotion, even
terror, before dropping back as a soprano rises up over the choir. Antoņenko joins again though now more
restrained but soon a tremendous climax for tenor and choir is reached. At the
words ‘…And the singing lasts until dawn…’ all quietens to a hush, bells
re-appear quietly and the sound of a vibraphone. There is a final outburst from
the tenor before the choir leads to a lovely, quiet coda.
The Russian composer,
Georgy Sviridov (1915-1998) was born in the town of Fatezh in the Kursk
Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Kursk Oblast). He initially
studied at a local music school but later moved to the Leningrad Central Music
College where he studied piano. He went
on to study at the Leningrad Conservatory under Peter Borisovich Ryazanov (1899-1942)
and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975).
Sviridov’s compositions include choral works, orchestral
works, concertos, chamber works and piano works as well as film music.
Winter Morning is
another Pushkin setting that has an upbeat opening before settling to a steadier,
flowing, and thoughtful nature. There is some lovely part writing with a section
of the choir providing a wordless support of the sung text.
Tenor, Aleksandrs Antoņenko opens About Lost Youth over a wordless choir in Nikolay Gogol’s lament
for lost youth, beautifully done by this choir where they bring some superb
sounds, so sensitive and expertly controlled. There are lovely little details in
this setting with Antoņenko providing some very fine singing.
The lively Christmas
Carol is a setting of a folk song text with a cantering rhythmic pulse and some
terrifically robust singing before the exquisite, hushed coda.
Sacred Love, which
provides the title of this disc, sets the single four line verse of Aleksey
Tolstoy’s poem. Soprano, Ieva Ezeriete sings the text over a wordless choir in
this really lovely setting.
There is more Pushkin with Natasha, a setting that pushes the text gently forward with Sviridov
somehow managing to achieve a gentle, quiet feel yet with a forward
propulsion.
With Icon we have
another setting of texts by Blok. Hushed sections of the choir individually
join before Aleksandrs Antoņenko enters to sing over the wordless voices.
Slowly the music rises with Antoņenko providing such a lovely emotional thrust
and passion on the words ‘Until you do not become this poor, And do not lie,
trodden on…’
With so many fine gems on this disc, beautifully sung this deserves
to be a very popular release. It is beautifully recorded at St. John’s Church,
(Svētā Jāņa Evaņģēliski luteriskā baznīca) Riga, Latvia. There are informative
booklet notes as well as full texts and English translations.
No comments:
Post a Comment