Search - Honegger :: King David

How Disappointing

scarlet | MD, USA | 11/24/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I have the Dutoit, originally released on an Erato LP, I seem to recall, and very successfully transferred to CD. A really gorgeous production that "gets it" with both Honegger's score and the associated texts. I had been wanting an English translation of the piece, which I'd seen successfully staged a couple of times in my mis-spent youth, so was glad to see this edition when I went searching. But the music is just not on. It drags, and the chorus minces through passages that should move with much more energy (the Victory theme, where Saul has slain his thousands etc. on the sample here will illustrate the problem). The producers chicken out by using women soloists when the score calls for a boy singer, though that is hardly a unique sin. But the solost in the final passage keeps coming in sharp, often way sharp, in what should be a crystalline passage of music and that is near inforgivable. I'd buy it, barely, absent a better English rendition, but if that isn't an issue, skip it and stick to the Dutoit."

A good church recording, but what's it doing on Amazon.com?

Julie | Maryland | 06/05/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I couldn't agree with another reviewer (K.Hume) more. I needed a copy of this CD rather quickly to learn the music for myself and this is the only one that was affordable that could come in soon, so I purchased it in spite of the negative review. I'm giving it two stars instead of one for the orchestra. They performed it well to my ear (not being an instrumentalist) and kept the rhythm going, despite the director, Donald Pearson's penchant for slowing it down incredibly. In this sense, one cannot help but imagine how painful rehearsals must have been.



The soprano soloist, Maureen Sorensson, has a crystalline quality to her tone which is quite beautiful, however she is sharp throughout the ENTIRE piece and in the final movement it stands out like a sore thumb. Ms. Sorensson sings a full out forte, one FULL half-tone sharp in contrast with the entire soprano section, thus ending the piece in a dissonant mess.



Bottom line: the chorus was not ready to record this piece, much less perform it."

Wonderful moments

David Brown | 02/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The soprano soloist is the reason to buy this CD. Ms. Sorensson's sparkly, shimmery voice shines thoughout the album and brings the work to a glorious and perfectly in tune conclusion. The choral singing is adequate throughout and someimes exciting although it often has the blatty tone quality common to adult choruses whose women are asked to sing like little boys."