Respighi – Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore
By Ralph Graves
Now this is my kind of Christmas album. While all the works were written for the
season, they aren’t part of the classical Christmas top 40 (with one exception —
sort of). And they’re all beautifully performed and recorded. The Rundfunkchor
Berlin has a rich, creamy sound with an almost seamless blend of voices.
The program opens with Sven-David Sandstrom’s arrangement of Praetorious’ “Es is ein ros entsprungen” (that’s the exception I was talking about). Sandstrom
stretches this well-known carol out, creating long, sinuous taffy-like strands
polyphony.
Morten Lauridsen’s “O magnum mysterium” benefits from the choir’s smooth sound. This delicate, lyrical work almost shimmers in this heartfelt performance.
Francis Poulenc wrote his “Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël” in a madgrialist
manner. That is, he uses the music to illustrate the actions of the words as well
as the underlying emotions. The Rundfunkchor Berlin performs these motets in a
clean, clear fashion — even if you don’t understand the words they sing, the
emotions come through loud and clear.
Respighi’s “Lauda per la Nativita del Signore” is (for me), the high point of the
album. The choir, combined with the Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin shows Respighi at his best. The rich harmonies, the imaginative orchestrations, and the wonderfully
simple (but not simplistic) melodies all come together for a seasonal work that
in my opinion just isn’t heard enough.
If you — or someone you know — is looking for something out of the ordinary in
seasonal recordings, I highly recommend this release.
Ottorino Respighi: Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore; Sven-David Sandstrôm/Michael Preaetorius: Es ist ein Ros estprungen; Heinrich Kaminksi: Maria durch ein Dornwald ging; Morten Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium; Günther Raphael: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; Francis Poulenc: Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël
Yeree Suh; Kristrine Larissa Funkhauser; Krystian Adam; Rundfunkchor Berlin;
Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin; Nicolas Fink; Maris Sirmais, directors
Carus 83.473
