Search - Frank Martin, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers :: Martin: Mass / Songs Of Ariel / Cantate / Chansons / Ode A La Musique

Reissue of 2 Major & 9 'Minor' Martin Pieces

Nicholas A. Deutsch | New York, NY USA | 05/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a reissue of a 1996 Collins Classics CD. Here's what I said about that disc, slightly updated:

With the exception of the enormously popular Mass for Unaccompanied Double Choir (1922/26) & the oft-recorded English-language Songs of Ariel (1950) to texts from Shakespeare, Frank Martin's most significant choral music is found in his 4 large-scale oratorios: In Terra Pax (1944), Golgotha (1945-8), Le Mystere de la Nativite (1957-9) & the Requiem (1970-1). This CD gathers together some of the shorter pieces from throughout his career, together with the Mass & Ariel Songs. Some of the performances come off better than others, largely because the various works were written for very different resources. The Sixteen do very well in the challenging 5 Songs of Ariel, composed for the professional Netherlands Chamber Choir; in the 2 occasional pieces, the Cantata for August 1st (1941) & the Ode to Music (1961), one wants more voices & more sheer enthusiasm. Likewise, the charming little folk-like songs would probably carry more conviction with amateur forces - or at least French-speaking ones. (The French throughout is carefully coached but clearly not native.) One programing error: The settings of the Ronsard Ode and Sonnet, sung here in reverse order & interleaved with other songs, were previously thought to date from 1931; they actually come from 1912, & when played together in the right order are far more effective. Overall, I'd recommend this disc primarily to those who already enjoy Martin's music & want to hear the 9 rarer pieces not otherwise available on CD. If you're interested primarily in the Mass & the Songs of Ariel, consider 2 recent CDs, both excellent: On Harmonia Mundi [HMC 901834], Daniel Reuss leads the RIAS-Kammerchor in a coupling with 2 fine pieces by Messiaen - an outstanding release. For an all-Martin program, hunt down Q Disc [Q 97056], where the Netherlands Chamber Choir under Tonu Kaljuste adds an important piece, Et la vie l'emporta (1974), Martin's final composition, a luminous & moving chamber cantata."