Spohr's
The Last Judgement was first performed in German in 1826
in Kassel and in English at the Norwich Musical Festival in 1830. The
translation of Friedrich Rochlitz's original German text was by Edward
Taylor, who sang the bass solos in Norwich. It was published by Novello and
became a mainstay of English choral societies right into the early twentieth
century. Anyone who frequents secondhand bookshops which stock sheet music
will discover well used copies of it in piles as high as "Messiah" or
"Elijah". They will be much less likely to encounter a live performance of
the work, despite the confident assertion in the booklet with this disc that
"it has now returned to churches and concert halls during the past decades".
Indeed it is just because that statement is incorrect that this disc is an
especially valuable chance to get to know what our grandparents - or at
least great-grandparents - regarded so highly.
The text is drawn from the Bible and falls into two parts. The first
relates the power of God as an all-powerful ruler and judge, and the second
the last judgement itself, leading to a new heaven and a new earth. Each
part is preceded by a substantial instrumental introduction full of the
dotted rhythms redolent of a French Overture. That is especially the case in
this performance where the neo-baroque signature of the music is matched by
a playing style clearly derived from that currently the norm in genuine
baroque music. It is interesting to speculate as to how these movements
might have sounded in performances in the middle of the last century but for
me at least what we have here works very well. I do not know what
instruments they play, but the pungent sound of the Mozarteumorchester
Salzburg is very akin to that of period instrument orchestras. Right from
the start the open orchestral textures draw the listener in, and even where
the music is less than inspired ensure continued attention.
The soloists and chorus form a well chosen if not outstanding team and
there are no obvious disadvantages to this being a live recording. I find it
difficult to imagine a more sympathetic performance but for all the patent
sincerity, variety and craftsmanship I must admit to some disappointment
with the work itself. There is a curious lack of material that is
melodically and textually memorable and I remain puzzled as to its one-time
popularity. Others may feel differently and for anyone with an interest in
choral music this disc provides an admirable opportunity to get to know it
.
John Sheppard
