SWR Vokalensemble - Masses for Double Choir - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Cultural Revolution did everything in their power to destroy the influence of religion in the Russian Empire. Sacred music was publicly forgotten in the process. Although Schnittke, whose German-born father emigrated to the Soviet Union in 1926, was atheistically influenced by the state education system, he believed spiritually in Inchsomething greaterInch. In 1982, he was baptized a Catholic, and shortly before his death he was accepted into the Orthodox Church. The search for a religious identity can also be traced in his works.Vedel and Berezovsky are among the most important composers of Ukrainian classical music of the 18th century. Little is known about Vedel's life. The works attributed to him, including 31 choral concertos, are all set to liturgical texts or Bible verses. In these works, the traditions of the Orthodox church music of his homeland, Ukrainian baroque tradition and folk songs merge with a new Western European operatic and instrumental style.Bortniansky is highly credited with bringing the genre of the sacred concerto to fruition. Consisting of psalm verses set to music, which were sung during the Eucharist in church services, it's purpose at the time was far-reaching as a universal genre, it was the highlight of the Orthodox liturgy, an adornment of the state ceremony and also intended for a kind of domestic music-making. In the Western repertoire, it comes closest to the instrumental concerto grosso, with the difference that no instruments are permitted in the Orthodox service.

La Scatola dai Suoni - Cantatas & Chamber Sonatas [COMPACT DISCS] date 08/11/2009

You can be pleased to hear an interpretation which sets standards with it's ideal transparency, it's sensuality and it's emotionally rich intensity. Here there are no mannerisms to bother us, no rhetorical gimmicks or vocal inadequacies. The almost thirty singers always retain their vocal serenity, whether in the double-choral furore of Singet dem HerrnInch or in the delicacy of the InchFurchte dich nichtInch (Be not Afraid) motet. Everything sounds relaxed but never trivial, with the sound mix perfectly balanced and performed with verbal discipline. If you do not yet have this Bach treasure in your collection, look no further than here.Inch (klassik heute)verve, unusually articulate expressive gestures that arise from the texts, exceptional ensemble precision, illuminating inner detail, and an overall atmosphere that conveys a sense of occasion and gives the distinct feeling that these singers both understand and love this music. These are uncompromisingly exciting performances that show, given a virtuoso ensemble and some of the most challenging music ever written for voices, just how captivating choral music can be.Inch (classics today)