Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vespers (Mass for Unaccompanied Chorus)

If those Gregorian chant discs seem a little, well, limited lately, perhaps it's time to move on to something equally spiritual but a bit more harmonically interesting. This disc, well-performed by the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, and conducted by the legendary choral leader, features a ravishing score by Rachmaninoff and is sung a capella, as is all Orthodox church music. (For a heartrendingly beautiful number, listen to the second cut, "Blagoslovi, Dushe Moya," or "Bless the Lord, O My Soul.") Along with well-tuned choral singing, there is a fine solo contribution by tenor Karl Dent. --Sarah Bryan Miller Amazon.com

Rachmaninov Vespers

This is 1) a really good piece of music
2) a really good choir and choral conductor
3) well recorded in a room with good acoustics.

The accompanying booklet has real information and reviews from the time of the composition, as well as the text (in transliterated Russian and English) for the whole mass.

Highly recommended. January 8, 2009

This one is the best!

Out of three recordings of this performance by three different chorales and conductors, this is the finest! Music, like art is in the "eyes and ears" of the beholder/listener, and for me, this is perfection! May 24, 2008

Etherial choral beauty

I have never heard the entire selection before. How fabulous Shaw's arrangement is but it's the spiritual melody line that continues to build throughout the album is 'heavenly'. You have to be in that worshipful mood to absorb this. May 12, 2008

A Divine Experience

I received this disc last year for Christmas and have listened to it roughtly 250 times since - perhaps a slight exaggeration, but my admiration is sincere.
Before owning this cd I knew that I liked the Vespers, but was not too very familiar with them. This cd, however, is now among my most-played albums in my iPod. The spirituality of these night-songs is almost tangible, one feels close to God in a mysterious, yet humble and honest way. Here, I think, one sees the quiet behind the man who gave us the robust and tempestuous concertos, the lush romantic symphonic works ... here is Rachmaninov standing still.
If you are a loyal classical music fan, you probably don't need some pedestrian amazon critic to tell you that Robert Shaw and Co. are wonderful.
If you are new to the Classical music scene, consider these an excellent "night devotions" addition to your library. When you stop to listen, you'll be glad you did. December 11, 2007

OK, but not the best version

This was the only version I had for the longest time but although I enjoyed the piece I never was that excited by the performance. Then I listened to the Swedish Radio Choir version --- unfortunately, Robert Shaw Singers sound like amateurs next to these guys. First you realize how Americanized the Russian is on Shaw's recording and second you realize how weak the basses sound. The sum experience for the Shaw is that although quite beautiful at times it is overall muddy and the choir is not together (the opening number is especially noticeable --- it sounds as if the basses are about an eighth to a sixteenth behind ... and the diction ... let us just say that the choir needed ALOT more prep, so I understand why a few reviewers who seem Russian would call this trash ... imagine James Brown sung with the a strong Swedish accent!). Lastly, I think Shaw was attempting for what the French call the long line --- in other words he wanted the melodies to flow one into another as if one giant etheral exhalation. Unfortunately, he ended up with too little variance in dynamics and, with the diction problems, a rather bland sound many times.

Sorry to be so negative, I have heard other work by Shaw that is quite georgeous and worth keeping --- unfortunately not this CD.

I strongly recommend the Swedish Radio Choir or try the Russian choirs mentioned by others or even Holliard --- I do not know these versions at all but if you find one in the library try them out.

November 19, 2006

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