Reviews
Review Search
'Stephen Layton's tight control of his forces, both choral and orchestral, lends impeccable ensemble and heart-thumping excitement - has the opening tutti ever had such punch? Soprano Susan Gritton is superb, too, in her committed, soaring performances. The combined choirs of Trinity College, Cambridge and pro group Polyphony are astounding as a vrituoso choral unit … The motets on Layton's...
This is a real treat. Polyphony brings its characteristic incisiveness, precision and evenness of tone to Poulenc's unaccompanied Lenten and Christmas motets, Salve regina and Exultate Deo. But it is the account of the Gloria - Poulenc's monkish habit at its most highly coloured - that makes this a real must-buy.
For this, Polyphony is joined by the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge , where...
I was 13 or 14 years old when I first heard Poulenc’s Gloria. Not knowing anything by or about this composer - the programme book for the concert only gave the text of the work and no notes on the composer - I couldn’t understand why this liturgical music was so damned enjoyable. It seemed positively sinful actually to derive delightful pleasure from a setting of these words. Now, only a few...
All things considered, Poulenc's Gloria has fared remarkably well on record, with recent versions by Jansons, Hickox and Tortelier ensuring that the piece has remained a favourite repertoire choice of numerous professional choirs.
But this new addition to the catalogue, excellently performed and recorded, is none the less welcome for that. Conductor Stephen Layton and his choir Polyphony are...
Francis Poulenc’s compositions were known for their color, wit and charm in the 1920s and 1930s. But up to that time he wasn’t taken seriously as a great musician. After all, it was Schoenberg, Stravinsky etc. that were the “serious” radicals of the day. In 1936 a close friend of Poulenc died in a tragic car accident and his works became more spiritually oriented, yet never lost their ‘joie de...
Veljo Tormis is a composer who has had, until recently, relatively little recognition outside of his native Estonia , where he is lionised. Since the fall of the Soviet Union , however, his predominately choral and folk inspired music has gradually been finding its way into the mainstream contemporary choral repertoire. This wonderful new Hyperion release dedicated to Tormis' music with Stephen...