Search - Stephen Paulus, Osmo Vänskä, Minnesota Orchestra :: Paulus: To Be Certain of the Dawn

Do you want to be moved?

David W. Schwarz | 12/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard this work at its premier at the Basilica of St. Mary in downtown Minneapolis, but not since.



It was stunning then, and this recording caputures the poignancy of the work. What makes it remarkable is the structure of the text, which brings the disturbing horror of the Holocost into a personal accounting by several characters whose story is based on photographs of common people in mundane settings. However, there is nothing mundane about how Paulus uses the text and music to tell their story.



As a recording, it is quite fine. The orchestral music is crisp and clear, and the Minnesota Chorale has proven once again thier ability to make the detailed text clear and easily understandable. The printed libretto in the CD booklet is handy, but not necessary to understand every word.



All in all, a fine recording of an exquisite composition.



David W. Schwarz"