Poulenc: Gloria; Concerto for Organ; Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

Glorious Gloria!

A brief, warm, often oddly dissonant choral work, Poulenc's Gloria, shines gloriously on this recording. May 29, 2008

A very welcome reissue--but why was it ever out of print?

One of my most cherished CDs was a used copy of the Symphony of Psalms and the Poulenc Gloria, which was among Shaw's first CDs for Telarc. The only problem with that CD was that it was already well-used, and on the verge of being unplayable. So, naturally, I was horrified to find out--in the mid-90s--that the CD was out-of-print (the Symphony of Psalms was reissued in a coupling with Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri). So, naturally, I bought this CD the day I saw it was available. At a mid-level price, this CD is hard to beat.

This CD contains those same two recordings, which are nearly impeccable. Both of these works contain strict instructions on performance, and Shaw captures them all perfectly. A couple of moments that stand out are the "Ad dexteram patris" in the final movement of the Gloria that Poulenc asks to be sung "like a murmur, almost imperceptibly," and the piccolo trumpet at the close of the second movement of the Symphony. Nevertheless, both works receive outstanding performances, and Sylvia McNair's solos in the Gloria are simply sublime.

And, as if simply reissuing the CD weren't enough, Telarc added a bonus, the Poulenc Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani. Not a very "flashy" work, it shows by turns both Poulenc's serious and playful moods. Michael Murray does an excellent job with the solo, and Shaw handles the strings admirably.

As I said at the beginning of this review, the original was one of my all-time favorite CDs, and I'm still wondering why Telarc ever allowed it to go out of print in the first place. But that won't stop me from recommending this CD now that it's back. May 30, 2006

Celebratory Music for All Seasons!

Holiday season and the stores are filled with carols and pop tunes that seem further removed from Christmas every year. At the same time all the choral ensembles around the country are scheduling the Messiah and festivals of carols and it is refreshing to turn to less well know works on CD for instilling a warm mood, works that while perhaps are not particularly for the Christmas season are none the less celebratory and appropriate now - and anytime.

This release by the venerable Robert Shaw and the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and Chorus reminds us just how fine a conductor he was. Poulenc's 'Gloria, for soprano, chorus & orchestra' is performed all too seldom. It is a bracingly modern work that alternates choral movements with orchestra separated by movements that include soprano solos - and some of the most graceful vocal writing in Poulenc's repertoire. Here Sylvia McNair is the right choice, her clearly focused voice has the range to breathe through the long arching lines with ease. The chorus, orchestra (especially the brass!) and soloist just blend beautifully.

Michael Murray is the fine soloist for Poulenc's 'Concerto for organ, strings & timpani in G minor', a mystical work that also calls forth thunderous organ passages. The contrast between the organ and strings with tympani allows the organ to solidly represent all of the brass and woodwind instruments and the effect is eerily dramatic. For years the old recording of these first two works with Georges Pretre conducting were the gold standard: that may now have changed!

Shaw wisely completed this grouping with Stravinsky's infectious 'Symphony of Psalms', another work that is slowly becoming a standard in orchestral repertoires for very good reasons. Here are the driving irregular pulsating rhythms that mark this period of Stravinsky's writing coupled with the ongoing fascination for the Russian orthodox music that he quoted throughout his career. Shaw and his Atlanta forces give a richly colored and broadly spaced reading and the sounds resulting from all three of these works is first rate. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, November 05 November 28, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...