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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning and sublime, 20 Dec 2005
I must agree with the late, great Bob Zeidler in his review that this disc deserves better than the Hurwitz review (and agree with another reviewer that it is probably a review pulled from a different performance of the Berlioz 'Te Deum'). This is an absolutely stunning work. This recording was a live performance at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, one of the greatest neo-Gothic structures in North America, for the centennial celebration of the American Guild of Organists, the professional group who would be perhaps the most critical listeners possible for this kind of work. It was recorded in July of 1996, and this particular recording features a surround-sound encoding that brings even more fullness to the experience (it plays perfectly well on standard monaural and stereo systems, too). The Voices of Ascension, under the direction of Dennis Keene, have had a history of performing sacred music from ancient and medieval times to the present. Berlioz is rather more recent than many of the composers of their standard repertoire - the Berlioz 'Te Deum' was first performed in April, 1855. That first performance was standing room only, as was this performance at St. John the Divine. According to Keene, 'A century-and-a-half later Berlioz's "Te Deum" stands as one of the ultimate ceremonial pieces of all time; and it is still an event whenever the work is performed today.' The score calls for a massive ensemble. For this recording, the Voices of Ascension Chorus and Orchestra are joined by the Young Singers of Pennsylvania under the direction of Susan and Joseph Ohrt. Even so, dozens of extra singers were recruited to augment the 40-strong Voices of Ascension and the Young Singers. According to Keene, it was the largest professional chorus in recent history in New York City. John Aler serves as tenor soloist, one of the most acclaimed tenors around. His voice soars in the mighty vault of St. John the Divine in exquisite fashion. Mark Kruczek had the honour of being the organist (a very daunting task, given the AGO audience). This is a piece to be performed in a cathedral, and requires such massive resources that it is infrequently performed. Berlioz wrote this as a labour of love, not as a commission or set for a specific performance. The passion of Berlioz and the spirit of the performances is truly remarkable, and soars clearly in this recording.
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