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Nicolae
BRETAN (1887–1968)
Sacred Songs
Requiem [22:57] (1. I. Introitus
[3:46]; 2. II Graduale [1:25];
3. III. Dies Irae [5:11]; 4. IV.
Offertorium [3:10]; 5. V. Sanctus
[1:18]; 6. VI. Pie Jesu [1:44];
7. VII. Agnus Dei [6:23])
8. Născătoare
de Dumnezeu (Ave Maria) [2:30]
9. Tatăl
nostru (The Lord’s Prayer)
[3:03]
10. Kis, karácsonyi ének
(Small Christmas Song) [1:28]
11. Közel
a temetőhöz (Close by
the Graveyard) [2:46]
12. Isten drága pénze
(God’s Bankrupting Loan) [4:35]
13. Krisztus-Kereszt az erdön
(Christ-Cross in the Forest) [3:31]
14. Az úr érkezése
(God’s Arrival) [2:10]
15. Imádság háború
után (Prayer after War) [4:47]
16. A halál rokona (Death’s
Kinsman I) [3:47]
17. A Sion-Hegy alatt (Under Mount
Zion) [5:34]
18. Amen [1:52]
19. Futurum imperfectum [1:42]
20. Mors imperator [2:43]
21. Por és virág
[Dust and Flowers] [4:02]
22. Ti ejbe hullo órák
(Your Hours Slipping into Night [1:19]
23. Vándorutam (Wanderings’
End) [1:48]
24. A Csucsai kert (The Gardens
of Csucsa) [1:54]
25. Síriratok (Epitaphs)
[3:38]
Ludovic Konya (baritone) (all except tr.
4, 5), Phyllis Bryn-Julson (soprano)(tr.
4, 5, 7), Donald s. Sutherland (organ)
(tr. 1-7), Ronald Stalford (organ) (tr.
8-14), Ferdinand Weiss (piano) (tr. 15,
16, 18-24), Martin Berkovsky (piano) (tr.
17, 25).
rec. live, Bradley Hills Presbyterian
Church, Maryland, USA, 8 September 1974
(tr. 1-7); live, Christ Church, Georgetown,
Washington DC, USA, 14 March 1976 (tr.
8-14); live, Franz Liszt Music Academy,
Budapest, 21 September 1973 (tr. 15, 16);
at the home of Judit and Harry le Bovit,
McLean, Virginia, USA (studio), March/April
1976 (tr. 17, 25); Radio Cluj, Romania
(studio), 16 June 1974 (tr. 18-22); 23
June 1974 (tr. 23); Library of Congress,
Washington DC, USA (studio), 24 August
1974.
Tr. 1-7 sung in Latin, tr. 8-9 sung in
Romanian, tr. 10-25 sung in Hungarian
Texts with English and French translations
and German summaries enclosed.
NIMBUS NI 5584 [76:06] 
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Not long ago I reviewed
two Nimbus discs with songs by Nicolae
Bretan (Ruxandra Donose)
(Alexandru Agache).
I was very enthusiastic then, so enthusiastic
that Len Mullenger ordered up another
selection of Bretan records. I will
be assessing these during the next few
weeks.
Bretan occupies a very
special place in the history of Romanian
music but due to his political standpoint
– he refused to become a member of the
Communist party after the war – was
declared a ‘non person’. His works were
not allowed to be performed. It is an
invaluable service to the music-loving
public that Nimbus has issued his songs
and no less than four operas. His is
a very distinctive voice in 20th
century music – not due to revolutionary
harmonic and structural invention but
through a deeply humanist approach and
a melodic tonal language with roots
in both Romanian and Hungarian folk
music. He speaks to people as it were
through time and across
borders. There is in this music a Gluckian
purity and a Mussorgskian nakedness
and yet it is intensely individual.
Simplicity is a keyword for him¸ there
is nothing showy or artful – just warmth
and humanity. The accompaniments are
mostly sparse; they do not call attention
to themselves.
This volume opens with
his Requiem, composed between
February and July 1932 and thus positioned
between his early operas from the 1920s
and the later ones from the late 1930s
and 1940s. This work is symptomatic
of his creative mind: there is no chorus,
the accompaniment is a simple organ
part, a solo baritone sings four of
the movements, a solo soprano sings
Offertorium and Sanctus
and the two voices unite in the concluding
Agnus Dei – simple and ‘pealed
off’. And the music speaks so sincerely
to you. It may be blasphemous to say
that the melodies are ‘catchy’ – but
that is exactly what they are! Catchy
in the sense that they are simple, heartfelt,
devoted and unavoidable. The opening
Introitus, extremely beautiful,
grabs hold of you and you are caught
and held until the end of the work.
Graduale is short but wonderful
and Konya scales down his voice to a
soft half-voice, almost crooning but
without sentimentality. Dies Irae
is powerful, as we expect it to be,
and here the organ part is mightily
expressive. Phyllis Bryn-Julson enters
with beautiful readings of the
next two movements and the baritone
returns for a warm, soft and inward
Pie Jesu. Together they sing
a deeply affecting Agnus Dei
rounded off by a simple organ postlude.
Bretan’s melodic gift is remarkable
and I am sure this work would be a healthy
alternative to Mozart, Verdi and Fauré
in many churches. Since this is a live
recording there is applause that, unfortunately,
comes far too early. After such an engrossing
experience I would have wished a long
silence – preferably no applause at
all – and on the disc edited out all
together.
The rest of the disc
is filled with other sacred songs of
similar intensity and beauty. The very
beautiful Ave Maria and a fine
setting of The Lord’s Prayer
are sung in Romanian; the rest in Hungarian.
Everybody will, I am sure, find their
own favourites. I was personally deeply
touched by the Prayer after War
(tr. 15) and also by The Garden of
Csucsa (tr. 24) but every track
has something valuable to offer and
Ludovic Konya’s impressive baritone
can express not only the dramatic and
lyrical aspects of the songs with equal
accomplishment but also conveys the
message of the texts.
Recorded in a number
of different venues the sound varies
a little but the overriding impression
of the disc is unity – through the inspiring
music and the consistency of the singing.
The accompaniments are good and the
booklet gives plenty of valuable commentary
on the music.
It is the end of March
when I write this but Bretan’s Requiem
is certainly my find of the year. The
disc as a whole is a strong candidate
for my list of Recordings of the Year
– for the quality of the music as well
as the accomplished singing.
Readers who have followed
me this far and been enticed by my enthusiasm,
should know that there will be another
five Bretan reviews before long.
Göran Forsling
Other Bretan reviews
My
Lieder-Land Volume 1
My
Lieder-Land Volume 2 RECORDING
OF THE MONTH (April)
SONGS
Ruxandra Donose (sop)
SONGS
Alexandru Agache (baritone)
Sacred
Songs
Horia
- Opera
Golem,
Arald - Operas
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