Frank Martin Mass: highlight of the choral music

Fair says: These are the Original items Latin texts of Catholic worship. All those to whom they become too familiar and commonplace, and those who do not with the Church at the hat, I want to shout: If someone illuminates the ancient texts on such a personal, intimate, unconventional way, as Martin does, have institutional Concerns quickly no longer play a role.

Because we expect neither a convention pronounced liturgical dance, nor a representative trumpet festival. Rather prevail subtle tones, tinted sounds, internalized listening. The more uplifting then the moments when tears open the sky and a glowing Christmas breaks forth. Although the piece was created in 1922, where other local 12-tone clusters and other weirdness were tested, it may take even unfamiliar classical music listeners with its fine, very colorful, heartwarming harmonies quickly for themselves.

For two four-part choirs ie: not just a choir can be heard, but two of the same variety, side by side or opposite set. They pile up on each other tonally, to fall into the word exponentially, include and accompany themselves. This allows diversity and intensity alike and provides the listener into an enveloping sound space.

A Capella is: unaccompanied, without instruments, voice pure, following on from the time when the text stressed sacred vocal music and the secular, courtly instrumental music were strictly separated. However, here not to obey an outdated principle, but return to the tranquility and intimacy of the beginning. This can hear well at the various Gregorian notes which resound inked here romantic, without any esoteric associations popular "Enigma" -Lesart. So in the beginning in solitude Kyrie ("Have mercy"), in the cloudy ease the Sanctus ("Holy"), in the meditative blossoming of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God): a cathedral of voices.

Frank Martin, whose name (as a French Swiss) way, pronounce like matin (the morning), never had the ambition to see his choral work in the proximity of large masses of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, among others moved. Instead, he kept his mass setting carefully under lock and withdrew it a publication, understood it as a secret between him and to God alone. Thankfully, we can be that a cantor from Hamburg this 40 years on but tracked in a catalog and therefore singers as listeners gave a work that is to be imaged with the age-old traditional words, the personal things of faith capable. For me one of the most unexplored, lonely peaks of sacred choral music.

For most amateur choirs this is indomitable in its tonal and harmonic complexity. Among the chamber and concert choirs, however, the beauty of Martin's soundscape have meanwhile spread, especially in the last 10 years are some recordings of renowned ensembles came out. The recording, which I'm so far become the warmest, but still comes from the 90s and those of the Dresden Chamber Choir under Rademann. This conductor, who now holds the leadership of two of the oldest choirs in Germany (the RIAS Chamber Choir Berlin and the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart), also creates here a choral sound which is contemporary vibrato and transparent to dispense without heat and color. And the offerings with motets by Schein, Bruckner, Reger and Schoenberg are also anything but a downhill.
Sublimity and wide viewing everywhere, alleluia!

These and many other CD-Recommendations can be found in my blog "Potpourri Pottis" under
[.....]
Take a look inside times!