The Chor des Bayersichen
Rundfunks (Choir of the Bavarian Radio)
has been around since 1946, and is widely
regarded as one of the world’s finest
small professional choirs. Its members
have worked and recorded with great
choral directors such as Eric Ericson
(see the
review of his recent recording with
accentus, Naïve V5037-2)
and with many of the world’s finest
conductors, including their current
principal conductor, Mariss Jansons.
Amongst its number are many singers
who enjoy flourishing solo careers of
their own, and even find time to lounge
about in the Maldives (sorry - private
joke aimed at certain members
of the alto and tenor sections).
On this latest CD they
sing under a very young (28) Dutch maestro,
Peter Dijkstra, who, judging by the
stunning results, is one to watch. The
programme consists entirely of unaccompanied
French music, difficult, demanding stuff
such as the Poulence Missa and
Bußpsalmen (better known
as ‘Four motets for a time of penitence’)
and Messiaen’s O sacrum convivium.
Glorious music, gloriously
sung. The Poulenc Mass is given the
most wonderfully flexible and assured
performance. It’s high point, indeed
the high point for me of the whole CD,
is the Agnus Dei (track 6). This
is begun by the solo soprano (Masako
Goda), unsupported by the choir, who,
when they do enter, have to negotiate
some extraordinary harmonic shifts (e.g.
track 6, 4:00). Everything is achieved
with such utter beauty of tone, making
the final references to the close of
Poulenc’s great opera, Dialogues
des Carmélites, so very moving.
Everything is on this
same exalted artistic level. The Duruflé
motets, using plainsong melodies, are
probably the simplest numbers on the
disc, and the easiest to sing. But even
they have their pitfalls, and are delivered
with great sensitivity. And the immensely
long drawn out phrases and enigmatic
harmonies of Messiaen’s O sacrum
convivium are conveyed with an effortless
sense of understanding and an unerring
sense of direction and purpose.
One work on the disc
was entirely new to me, which was Ton
de Leeuw’s striking Prière.
Though perhaps not compositionally
on the level of the rest of the music
recorded here, this is nonetheless a
powerful and arresting piece, and the
choir’s French proves hard to fault.
This is a rare treat
for lovers of choral music, and for
lovers of French music too. Don’t be
put off if the repertoire is unfamiliar
to you, for this is music of great beauty;
and sung like this, it is balm to the
ear.
Gwyn Parry-Jones