COMPOSERS: Victoria
LABELS: Decca
WORKS: Responsories for Tenebrae; Litaniae de Beata Virgine; Motets
PERFORMER: Westminster Cathedral Choir/ George Malcolm; Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge/ George Guest
CATALOGUE NO: 425 078-2 DDD (1960/68/70)
The St John’s College Choir’s Anglican sound, though admirably focused and expressive, is not ideally suited to the passionate character of Victoria’s music. Of the four motets included here, Ascendens Christus in altum comes closest to capturing the music’s exultant spirit. By contrast, the Westminster Cathedral Choir has a sharper-edged sound which vividly evokes the varied emotional moods of the Tenebrae Responsories. Good choral balance, in atmospheric recordings, make this an appealing sample of the repertoire. Nicholas Rast
Victoria: Responsories for Tenebrae; Litaniae de Beata Virgine; Motets
The St John’s College Choir’s Anglican sound, though admirably focused and expressive, is not ideally suited to the passionate character of Victoria’s music. Of the four motets included here, Ascendens Christus in altum comes closest to capturing the music’s exultant spirit. By contrast, the Westminster Cathedral Choir has a sharper-edged sound which vividly evokes the varied emotional moods of the Tenebrae Responsories. Good choral balance, in atmospheric recordings, make this an appealing sample of the repertoire. Nicholas Rast
Our rating
3
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:31 pm