M. Lauridsen - Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale
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Free Music Notes for Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale
Free Music Review: Wonderfully exquisite
Hit: 5 Stars
I had the honor of hearing in person the Chansons des Roses song cycle performed at the American Choral Directors Association's meeting in San Antonio, with the piano part played by Mr. Lauridsen himself. It brought tears to my eyes -- the piece is moving, and wonderfully exquisite. This CD has almost the same effect, and I have been equally impressed by the Lux Aeterna set. By all means, this is a CD a choral music lover must have in their collection.Free Music Review: Spell-binding music for the soul...
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow. This music is fantastic, and is still leaving me with chills. Mr. Lauridsen deserves much praise for these gorgeous pieces presented on this CD. I won't go into details about him, seeing as there have been many informed people who have spoken about him already. Requiems, masses, and large works such as the Lux Aeterna are always a welcome guest into my musical listening as I believe anyone would feel after listening to this ethereal and enchanting music. I become so engrossed in this piece that words almost don't even enter my mind while I'm hearing every succession of gorgeous note after gorgeous note. So the fact that the singers in the Los Angeles Master Chorale have somewhat blurry diction turns out not to really even matter to a person such as myself who is a stickler for diction. "Les Chansons des Roses" is another work which is smaller in feeling, but just as moving as the "Lux Aeterna," and with a charming French text (which I could understand perfectly fine diction wise, although I happen to know the language very well, which makes a big difference). I especially love the movement, "Dirait-on." What can one say, but "Ahhhhhhhhhh." The "Coplandesque" feeling one gets from the "Mid-Winter Songs" is very nice, and they are charming pieces. A wonderful closer to the CD is a piece I became acquainted with in High School, and was fortunate enough to perform... the "O magnum mysterium." A nice move by the editors in my mind, as I have a special affinity for the piece and it sums up how I musically feel about this composer(I've never had a more spine-tingling feeling in my life than I did when we performed this piece. I remember... it was amazing).Overall, this CD is a real keeper for any lover of choral music. This is the most lyrical, enthralling music for choir that has been constructed in ages it seems like. I feel fortunate to have been able to sing in one of the pieces myself, and I am hoping I can convince, maybe with the aid of this CD, to get my Choir Director to let us sing a piece from one of these works at our "Cathedral Concert" next year. I would be elated for us to perform any one of the selections from this CD at any time. I hope everyone who gets this enjoys it as much as me and countless others do... It's a dedication to neo-romanticism and a veritably pallatable choral treat.
Free Music Review: Exquisite!
Hit: 5 Stars
This anthology of choral works by Morten Lauridsen, an American composer bearing more than a superficial similarity to such Baltic composers as Arvo P?rt, Henryk G?recki and Einojuhani Rautavaara (and why should he not, with the name Lauridsen so suggestive of Baltic roots?), as well as Johannes Brahms, is a comforting spiritual journey into the magical world of choral music. As far as I know, with one notable exception, all of these works receive their recording premieres on this well-filled album. The sole exception is Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" (Oh, Great Mystery), which is also included on Robert Shaw's final, posthumous, release by the same name on the Telarc label.
This release might well have gone unnoticed by me had it not been brought to my attention by a cyberfriend at the New York Times Classical Music Forum, who, knowing my affection for Shaw and his work, thought that I would like it. How right he was!
It is more than fitting that the names Lauridsen and Shaw be juxtaposed with respect to this album. The performers are the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the successor to the Roger Wagner Chorale, the one and only choral group which, over its lifetime, was able to serve any notice that Shaw had competition in this field (although Shaw continued to remain paramount, regardless). And the music Lauridsen has provided for this release, of course including "O Magnum Mysterium," is of the type and of a quality that Shaw very much made his own in his late-career work with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers and Chamber Singers.
But the credit should go, not to Shaw, but clearly to Lauridsen and to Paul Salamunovich, the current music director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, for this selection and outstanding performance of Lauridsen's works. Basically conservative in their compositional make-up, these works fall easily on the ears, and suffuse the listener with a feeling of immense grace and warmth, much as Brahms' "Ein Deutsches Requiem" (referenced in the liner notes as a measure of what Lauridsen sought to accomplish) does.
The clear highlight of the album is the title work, "Lux Aeterna." Spiritual, cosmic, romantic and moving beyond measure are adjectives which fall readily to hand when describing its effect. By itself, it is reason enough to acquire this album, and it is the work which most obviously pays tribute to Brahms. But "Les Chansons Des Roses" and "Mid-Winter Songs," while different in their styles and impact, are equally accessible and well-done. As for "O Magnum Mysterium," I find the choice between Salamunovich and the Los Angeles Master Chorale on the one hand and Robert Shaw and his Chamber Singers on the other to be a toss-up. Given my high personal regard for the life and work of Shaw, this is just about the highest praise I could heap on Maestro Salamunovich and his singers.
Five easy stars for this anthology of a composer who now has an outstanding cross-section of his choral works for us to hear, and to a choral group that performs as well as any, including Shaw's groups, on this release.
Bob Zeidler
Free Music Review: Please accept this retraction
Hit: 4 Stars
...I had previously reviwed this CD as being "repetitive." It does have various melodic themes that repeat in several instances, but this does not detract from the beauty of Lauridsen's compostions. There is a distinctive soul to each stunning piece, with rich underlying emotions, highly developed color and mood, and an understanding of all that the human ear desires. My personal favorite is the "Chansons des Roses" song cycle.Free Music Review: Beautiful beyond words
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a magnificent recording. I am a major choral music junkie and find American choirs (for the most part) lacking compared to European choirs (mainly English); however, the Los Angeles Master Chorale is the exception. Paul Salamunovich has worked wonders with this choir over the years and it is a shame that he is retiring. I am so pleased that Morten Lauridsen has written choral works to make the LAMC shine and a fitting swan song for its conductor. This recording is beautiful beyond words and I heartily recommend it to all who love choral and sacred music. I enjoyed all the tracks -- especial Lux Aertena -- and hope Lauridsen writes more works of this kind of beauty in the future.