Search - Le Sueur, Chorus Musicus, Spering :: Ceremonial Music

Just superb!!!!!

kiwidiwi777 | Puerto Rico | 08/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are just no words to say for such a magnificient masterpiece from Le Sueur. Althought I had never heard of him, from the first songs you can recognize the style of Cherubini, specially the similarity between his Dies Irae from the Requiem, and Le Sueurs "allegretto pomposo e nobile" (track 14). When you read the booklet (and make further research), you see that Le Seur was Gounod's and Berlioz's professor, and that he was asked to write this hymns for coronations, as also Cherubini was. Yet, personally, on this style, Cherubini is now ranking no.2 on my musical billboard, and Le Sueur has won the 1st. There is just so much coherence from the first to the last song, (which for me is a must), that I've listened to it enough times to find out the same: the precisement with which it was composed for the style of that musical period. I'm sorry, if I offend some traditional, "must be without question because I learned so" persons, but for my taste, it could go aside Verdi's Requiem, and Beethovens 9th, and many other "great classics". It's a shame it just came public and affordable now.
I believe it could even serve as a soundtrack source for movies with napoleonic or so topics, specially if they are to represent a coronation. Sorry, but I've been transformed by it. Maybe if you are a choral singer, director or familiar with GOOD choral movement, you'll understand the feeling. Hope I convince you, and hope you enjoy it as much as I have and will."

Duplication

F. E. Halaburt | Newton Center, MA USA | 11/12/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This same recording is available at Amazon Fr. under the title "Oratorios du Couronnement", NAÏVE OP 30408."