Liszt - Missa Choralis & Via Crucis [CD]

For those used to Lisztian fireworks, the two religious works on this disc show a whole different side to this composer. The Missa Choralis of 1865, Liszt's third setting of the Mass, is the more conservative piece of the two and is most notable for its overall impression of contemplative peace. The restful opening is the antithesis of Liszt the extrovert virtuoso. The Mass boasts a contained Miserere and beautifully pure solo contributions, particularly in the Benedictus. The Corydon Singers convey the various moods, from bright optimism to hushed reverence, with the utmost sensitivity. Via Crucis was written between 1866 and 1878, although it only received its first performance in 1929. Here is Liszt at his most experimental and also at his most religiously transported. The organ introduction to the first "station of the cross" exemplifies Liszt's harmony at its most progressive. Via Crucis is a mesmerising and unforgettable musical experience in which Liszt sets texts in both Latin and German. Matthew Best underlines the drama inherent in the sometimes almost operatic score, his choir responding magnificently to his direction. The booklet notes are exemplary, aiding comprehension of a difficult but also rewarding and uplifting score. --Colin Clarke

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE 'A disc in a million. Matthew Best gives the music s every moment of excitement its full impact stunning. Makes essential listening' (Gramophone) 'On excellent form, the Corydon Singers give an impassioned account, rich in tone and dynamic contrast and, above all, exemplary in the matters of ensemble and balance. Majestic sound' (Classic FM Magazine) 'I find the Corydon Singers' performance of Via Crucis utterly compelling and truly memorable ... an essential Passiontide recording' (Organists' Review) 'Strongly recommended' --Fanfare, USA

Liszt's position as a composer for the Church has always been controversial. The paradox that the most modern composer of the age, the supporter of the revolutionary ideals of 1789, 1830 and 1848, ended up writing music for an institution regarded as a bastion of everything conservative and reactionary, has led to a questioning of Liszt's motives. With the rapidly advancing secularization of culture, Liszt was seen as disillusioned, and his decision to take minor orders in 1865 was considered a startling about-turn for one so worldly. In fact, Liszt wrote sacred music with reform in mind. The dismal state of church music in the first half of the nineteenth century, when it was common to hear opera cabalettas sung to liturgical words, encouraged him to go back to plainsong and the music of Palestrina for inspiration. Composed in 1865, the year he took minor orders, the Missa Choralis embodies these twin elements. The influence of plainsong pervades the thematic material, albeit refocused through Liszt's boldly original and expressively chromatic harmonic language. Via Crucis (1866-1878) is an extraordinary work. It is a devotion describing the journey of Christ carrying the Cross, divided into fourteen 'stations' or stages. Most Catholic churches have pictures or statuettes of these scenes along the walls of the nave, usually seven on each side. The devotion consists of meditations on each scene, usually in the form of prayers and singing. If the number of participants is not too large, they move around the church in a group, stopping at each station. This was what Liszt visualized when he composed the music, and in one of his most deeply personal works, he presents a series of radically expressionistic, intense miniatures.