The Voice of the Beloved: Daniel-Lesur, Martin & Messiaen
This is a radiant performance of Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, reminiscent of Gramophone’s 1998 Recording of the Year winner from James O’Donnell’s Westminster Cathedral Choir.
A comparable version is found in the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, but the Netherlands ensemble has the edge, with a more reverberant acoustic and a lively performance.
- The Gloria cascades open with a sense of tumbling inevitability on the new recording.
- The performance is characterized by an almost constant bounce and verve, sprung from the text.
The sense of a ‘mass’ of sound here is striking, achieved as much by skill from musicians as from those who have captured them.Author's summary: Radiant performance of Frank Martin's Mass.