Search - Parry, Barnert, Lpo :: Souls Ransom / Sinfonia Sacra

World Premieres for Lovers of Romantic Choral Music

David Cloke | London | 05/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike most of his Victorian contemporaries, Parry was not content with the traditional Biblical oratorio. He, therefore, established a new form, the 'ethical cantata' drawing on examples as diverse as the choral works of Schutz, Handel and Brahms. The Soul's Ransom is one such work with a text that is, nonetheless, largely drawn from the Bible. The choral writing is rich and dramatic - anyone who loves Blest Pair of Sirens will find much to enjoy here. The London Philharmonic Choir is marvellous, singing these rare works with feeling and accuracy. The solos are perhaps less effective with the baritone largely limited to dramatic recitative. The soprano solos are finer, the programme note describes them as operatic. Unfortunately, whilst she sings intelligently and intensely, Della Jones' voice is rather worn in the high notes which can make for uncomfortable listening. The Lotos Eaters, a setting of a poem by Tennyson, is a more reflective piece and possibly the most frequently preformed of Parry's larger choral works. It was even performed in Milwaukee four years after its 1892 premiere. The opening bars are exquisite, quite unlike anything else in English music of the period and the choral writing is often similar in style to Parry's late Songs of Farewell. The solo writing is also more memorable than in The Soul's Ransom and generally better suited to Della Jones' voice.Both pieces are well-recorded with fine playing from the London Philharmonic Orchestra. I also suspect that the success of this recording (and the others in the Chandos Parry series) owes much to the comitted conducting of Matthias Bamert. Any lover of late romantic choral works from The German Requiem to the Dream of Gerontius will find much to enjoy here. As both pieces are recorded here for the first time, there will be a very long wait before any other versions appear in the catalogue!"