Stabat Mater: Sacred Choral Music by Lennox & Michael Berkeley
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LENNOX & MICHAEL BERKELEY
Stabat Mater: Sacred Choral Music by Lennox & Michael Berkeley
The Marian Consort, Berkeley Ensemble, David Wordsworth
[ Delphian / CD ]
Release Date: Friday 22 July 2016
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Lennox Berkeley's Stabat Mater derives from one of the most fertile and inspired periods of his compositional life. A masterpiece, and until now the last of his major works to go unrecorded, it was written for a concert tour by his close friend Benjamin Britten's English Opera Group; hence the unusual but effective scoring for six solo voices and twelve instrumentalists. Delphian artists The Marian Consort - with five acclaimed discs of early music to their credit - now show their versatility in a cappella and accompanied music by both Lennox and his son Michael Berkeley. They are partnered in the larger works by the Berkeley Ensemble, whose performances are enriched by their intimate knowledge of these composers' music. The same can be said of conductor David Wordsworth, who has known and worked with both composers, and who here realises a long-cherished ambition to direct this important addition to the catalogue.
"An inspired and moving major work... by turns eerie, poignant and powerful." Classical Music, August 2016
"An enlightening and enriching release, which is also excellent in terms of recording and presentation." classicalsource.com, October 2016 *****
"The Marian Consort's background in early music pays dividends in their superb precision of pitch, impeccable rhythmic placing and beautiful diction…the lush harmonies that open [Judica me] are sumptuously delivered and beautifully recorded" Gramophone Award Nomination 2017 - Choral
"This is a very important disc in that it presents an unjustly neglected English vocal work of the highest quality; furthermore, the performance is superb... Admirers of Lennox Berkeley's music should put this disc at the top of their shopping list." MusicWeb International, July 2016
"Stabat Mater shows Lennox Berkeley at his most beguilingly austere, with quasi-medieval vocal writing - Rory McCleery's alto solo is outstanding - fastidiously embroidered by chamber ensemble." Sunday Times, 17th July 2016
"There's earnest beauty in it and the instrumental playing on this recording is spot on - the Berkeley Ensemble under David Wordsworth clinches the balance of chaste, plaintive and urgent" The Guardian, 28th July 2016 ***
Tracks:
1-10 Lennox Berkeley: Stabat Mater [32:17]
11-15 Lennox Berkeley: Mass for Five Voices [13:45]
16 Lennox Berkeley: Judica me [7:19]
17 Michael Berkeley: Touch Light [7:35]
