Beautiful music. Stirring. Moving.
But then the voices enter.
And the spell is broken.
Nearly.
The power of the choir in the first piece (Gesang der Parzen) is overwhelming. A very nice chorus, especially the female voices. Stirring.
The Composition:
Gesang der Parzen Op. 89
The Performers:
Danish National Choir/DR
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Gerd Albrecht conductor
The Composition:
Rhapsodie Op. 53
Interesting opening. Ominous.
I’ve never been a fan of the alto vocal range. Annelies’ performance doesn’t change my mind any.
The Performers:
Annelies Burmeister alto
Males chorus of the Rundfunkchor Leipzig chorus master Horst Neumann
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig
Heinz Bongartz conductor
The Composition:
Rinaldo Op. 50 Cantata for tenor solo, male chorus & orchestra
The tenor vocal range, on the other hand, is my sweet spot. It’s my favorite vocal range. And Joachim Kerol sounds like a very fine tenor. Tremendous power. Really belts out the words. Love this composition!
The Performers:
Joachim Kerol tenor
New Paris Symphony Association Chorus – Orchestre Pasdeloup
Rene Leibowitz conductor
I’m sorry. Despite my better judgment, I’m going to have to award this a Favorite Brahms composition. The combination of Joachim’s vocal power and Brahms’ often stirring music (performed beautifully by the New Paris Symphony Association – Orchestre Pasdeloup) wins me over.
