This
follows on from Hyperion's highly successful Lauridsen disc
issued some two years ago (see review).
Unlike its predecessor the present CD includes some first
recordings which is extremely welcome. On the appearance of the
earlier disc, I compared it with the American recording by many of
the works' dedicatees,
the Los Angeles Master Chorale recorded on RCM Records. As
far as I am aware that superb disc is unaccountably still
unavailable in the UK. With this issue, Polyphony show themselves
the equal of the American Choir. The only difference is that
Polyphony seem to be a smaller ensemble and as such do not
command the same sonority as the larger body of singers.
Still there are benefits in having a smaller choir and these
include a superior response to some of Lauridsen's cross-rhythms,
where the lighter body of tone allows conductor and choir
more clearly to articulate the texts without losing impact.
Also, taken at a slightly faster tempo the performance is
marginally more exciting.
Make no mistake,
this is a superb issue, with the engineers capturing the
full sonority of the choir, orchestra and soloists to perfection
and with diction being as clear as crystal throughout.
There are four first
recordings here, three of them being fairly short pieces,
written in the composer's easily assimilated manner. Two
of them were written some time ago, and it is good at last
to have them recorded here for the first time. The other
two were both written in 2005. It is very satisfying to note
that the composer has not lost his touch. The last work on
the disc, 'Nocturnes' is a three movement suite for chorus
including piano in movements 1 and 3, with the middle movement
being for unaccompanied chorus. The piano is here played
by the composer, so I would suggest that the interpretation
of the work by the conductor is likely to be accurate. The
first movement is a setting of Rainer Maria Rilke's 'Sa nuit
d'ete', the second turns to Pablo Neruda's great love sonnet,
'Soneto
de la Noche'. In the third movement Lauridsen sets James
Agee's famous poem 'Sure on this shining night'. Based upon
the aural evidence he has created another very fine trio
of pieces, and I am sure that Stephen Layton's fine choir
enjoyed working with the composer immensely.
Do I have any criticisms - well
yes, but nothing to do with the works themselves, performances
and recordings, all of which are exemplary. It concerns Hyperion's
maddening habit of listing incomplete information on the
back of the box, when they could just as easily print the
full data as they do in the booklet inside. I refer to them
only printing the first track of a multi-track piece rather
than listing the first to last tracks, as nearly every record
company does. I know this is fairly minor, but it is a personal
annoyance, and I wish they would follow the example of other
companies.
John Phillips
Polyphony,
Britten Sinfonia (1), Polyphony, Morten Lauridsen (piano)
(2, 6); Polyphony, Andrew Lumsden (4)/Stephen Layton 
