Ars Nova

This is a gorgeous collection of unaccompanied sacred pieces from the masterly Ars Nova, under the inspired direction of Bo Holten. The honeyed tones of the choir infuse this music with such glory, in all its forms, that even a heart of stone might feel the divine reaching out, reflecting the pain, suffering, but also the absolute sense of compassion to all who hear it. Wonderfully warm and comforting (healing?) music, superbly sung. This cd comes with full text for the pieces, production is excellent, and you get access to all these riches for a trifle.

This box set presents the complete narrative works (Historiae) of Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) in the acclaimed new recordings by Ars Nova Copenhagen conducted by Paul Hillier. The engaging account of the six stories of Christmas, Passion and Resurrection in Schütz’ sublime Baroque settings is presented along with authoritative notes and the conductor’s own commentary on the works, which rank among the finest pieces of the 17th Century.

David Lang's the little match girl passion, for vocal quartet doubling on percussion instruments, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. It's a strong, striking piece with a surprisingly potent emotional punch. Part of its effectiveness derives from the story itself, which is so achingly poignant that it can hardly fail to raise a lump in the throat. The text is primarily compiled from the story by Hans Christian Andersen and from familiar sections from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, which sound fresh and new in English translation. Lang's clear-eyed avoidance of sentimentality saves the story from the bathos into which it could easily sink in a less skillful musical setting.

As all four of the discs in this set have been reviewed in these pages before, this notice accordingly provides only a brief summary. J. F. Weber discussed the Read more in Fanfare 33:2, the Weihnachtshistorie and Auferstehungshistorie (the Nativity and Resurrection narratives) in 33:5, and the Matthäus-Passion in 35:1, while Ronald E. Grames and I both covered Die sieben Worte and the Johannes-Passion in 34:2. In all instances the reviews were enthusiastic and offered unqualified endorsements of these performances as the recordings of choice for these works; now having the opportunity to hear them all, I heartily re-affirm that collective judgment.

Minas Borboudakis has explored much mythology, philosophy, technology and the natural sciences, and the compositions in this collection reflect this. The CD includes the percussion concerto Archégonon: written for Peter Sadlo, it is a work dealing with “very beginnings”. Also included are two works written for the ensemble spectral: Tetraktys (a string quartet on the number 4) and Krámata (a sextet on alloys).

Francesco Durante was a leading composer of church music in the early eighteenth century, as well as an internationally renowned teacher in Naples. His compositional output is unique: Although he did try his hand at opera, Durante never really attempted to compete in that theatrical medium, unlike almost all of his colleagues in Naples at the time. His gift was simply not for opera, but rather for church music: He created works in all genres and styles of devotional and liturgical music. Though never prolific, Durante was concerned with quality, not quantity, which points to how well the teaching profession fit him. Because he was always dedicated to artistic concerns and remained open to new ideas, he was a much sought-after and revered maestro.