April 1, 2001
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Vigilia: All-Night Vigil
in Memory of St. John the Baptist for Mixed Choir and Soloists
(Ondine ODE 910-2 CD. Finnish Radio Chamber Choir, Timo
Nuoranne, conducting. Jyrki Korhonen, bass; Topi Lehtipuu, tenor; Pia Freund, soprano;
Lilli Paasikivi, mezzo soprano; Petteri Salomaa, baritone.)
| Musical Performance |
  |
| Recording Quality |
|
| Overall Enjoyment |
|
 While I was in Northfield, MN
witnessing John Atkinson and Jim Johnston record the vocal ensemble Cantus, I realized how
little unaccompanied choral music I owned. Oh, I have plainsong and medieval chant records
galore, not to mention pygmy chants and South African township choirs, but when it came to
contemporary classical choral works, I couldn't conjure up a single example I owned, much
less listened to.
So I'm certainly no expert.
But Cantus' Eric Lichte, who handed me this disc, had the
voice of authority when he called it the vocal recording of the decade. He just might be
right -- this is a remarkable recording of a remarkable work, sung by a choir like
no other you've ever heard.
Rautavaara (b. 1928) is a dominant figure in 20th century
Finnish music, although he's all but unknown to most of us non-Scandinavians. He's
versatile, incorporating popular, folk and art music influences, and his works have social
and psychological commentary. His best work is spiritual and is marked by conflicts and
tension, which he vividly portrays with musical contrasts and brooding intensity.
He's also fascinated, not surprisingly, with pure sound.
His organ work, Annunciations, explores every aspect of the instrument's sound,
down to turning off the blower while still playing, while his Cantus arcticus
(Concerto for Birds and Orchestra) incorporates tape-recorded sound. He has even included
a synthesizer in his Sixth Symphony.
In Vigilia, he has composed a setting for the
Orthodox Vigil and Matins services that exploits vocal effects I'm not sure I'm capable of
describing. In the Vigil, the women's choir chants the "Hymn to the Mother of
God" in a suspiring whisper over a male drone on the tonic. High above it all, a
soprano soloist sings the chanted words. It's so beautiful and complex and -- somehow --
simple at the same time, I find myself forgetting to breathe.
The quality of the soloists and choir is top-notch. The
score called for semi-tones and you get 'em -- seemingly precise and consistent. (Here,
you realize, I'm talking through my hat, as I've never seen the score -- but that's what
it sounds like.) And, of course, the sense of exoticism is increased by the fact that
they're singing in Finnish, which is a strange language indeed.
There's such a sense of place in this recording, it's
almost scary. If you have a stereo system that has any soundstaging ability at all,
it'll project a good-sized hall filled with warm voices.
Not sold yet? Well, if sheer magical beauty and spiritual
awe aren't enough to do the job, consider this: You probably won't be hearing this
demonstration-quality disc anywhere else -- and missing it would be a shame. There's never
enough true magic in the world. Seize it where you find it.
...Wes Phillips
wes@onhifi.com
|
