Liszt: Christus

Franz Liszt (Composer), Helmuth Rilling (Conductor), Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart (Performer), Iris Vermillion (Performer), Henriette Bonde-Hansen (Performer), Michael Schade (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Iris Vermillion, Henriette Bonde-Hansen, Michael Schade
• Conductor: Helmuth Rilling
• Composer: Franz Liszt
• Audio CD (February 29, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Hanssler Classics
• ASIN: B00000655L
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,379 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part I, Christmas Oratorio: No. 1, 'Introduction'

2. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part I, Christmas Oratorio: No. 2, 'Pastorale and Aunnuncia

3. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part I, Christmas Oratorio: No. 3, 'Stabat mater speciosa'

4. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part I, Christmas Oratorio: No. 4, 'Shepherd's song at the

5. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part I, Christmas Oratorio: No. 5, 'The three holy kings'

Disc: 2

1. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part II, After Ephiphany: No. 6, 'The Beautitudes'

2. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part II, After Ephiphany: No. 7, 'Pater noster'

3. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part II, After Ephiphany: No. 8, 'The foundation of the Chr

4. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part II, After Ephiphany, No. 9, 'The Miracle'

5. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part II, After Ephiphany, No. 10, 'The Entry into Jerusalem

Disc: 3

1. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part III, Passion and Ressurection: No. 11, 'Tristis est an

2. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part III, Passion and Ressurection: No. 12, 'Stabat mater d

3. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part III, Passion and Ressurection: No. 13, 'O filii et fil

4. Christus, oratorio for soloists, chorus, orchestra & organ, S. 3 (LW I7): Part III, Passion and Ressurection: No. 14, 'Resurrexit'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To hear "Christus" as Liszt conceived it, buy this CD!, February 16, 2000

By 

Mark Carpenter (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Liszt: Christus (Audio CD)

I'm going to preamble my comments by saying I know this particular score very, VERY well: I was the person who advocated for the first 20th century performance (in the US) of "Christus" at Indiana University School of Music, which we performed in 1976.

Given that: I cannot imagine this piece being performed any better than has been done by Mr. Rilling. Mr. Rilling has not merely synthesized the music: he has personalized the score! Rilling's realization of Liszt's score is a marvelously restrained performance -- yet it brings forth the essential "bigness" of the music (this is, after all, a late 19th century oratorio) while not ever allowing the music to become "cheap" or "gaudy".

Liszt is an amazingly uneven composer. It's hard to imagine that the person who composed "Christus" is the same person who composed the "Grand Galop Chromatique"! Yet "Christus" is music-making on the very highest order -- this is a score which can stand comparison with Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" and Brahms' "German Requiem" and hold its head high along side these greatest of masterpieces. One senses that Liszt truly meant every note he wrote in this score.

There is some really sublime music all throughout Christus. The opening "Rorate Coeli" is reminiscent of very late Beethoven (and every bit as good!) - marred very slightly by some extraneous noise (perhaps backstage?). That noise is the only flaw I found in the entire 3 CD-set!

The "Pastorale" and "March of the Three Wise Magi" strongly suggest Mahler by way of Liszt's use of small chamber groups as a part of a very large orchestra. The Pastorale, especially, is amazing music, especially considering it was written around 1863!

The "Pater Noster" is gorgeous. I cannot imagine a more compelling performance of this movement. "The Miracle" (a portrayal of Jesus calming the waters during the storm at sea) is equally fine. It is NOT easy to bring forth all the orchestral colors and the harmonic audacity Liszt has written in this piece without the piece sounding gaudy - but Rilling certainly pulled it off!

Rilling really saves the best for last: "Tristis Est Anima Mea" out-Wagner's Richard Wagner for use of chromatic writing (even approaching atonality at some points!). Wagner's "Tristan" chord figures predominately in the first half of the movement - and I dare say Wagner would have envied Liszt in the use of that particular chord progession (which Liszt, after all, used first in one of his art songs).

For sheer mind-blowing spectacle, nothing beats the last movement, "Resurrexit". Rilling's interpretation of this movement reminds me a bit of the ending of Mahler's "Eighth Symphony" -- and this interpretation works! I am amazed that the chorus could sing (and enunciate) the "Christus Vincit" fugue at the tempo Rilling chose -- but sing and enunciate they did!

I admit to being a bit of a "snob" about performances of "Christus", especially since the performance we undertook at Indiana University was a pet project of mine. I hate to say it -- but Rilling's performance was better than ours! In fact, I would say that Rilling's interpretation comes very close to an authoritative realization of this score as one is going to come!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nearly perfect rendition, April 17, 2003

By 

Peter Czipott (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Liszt: Christus (Audio CD)

I cannot claim anywhere near the authority of Mr. Carpenter, but while I second nearly everything he says in his fine review, we part company when it comes to the March of the Three Kings movement. It is incredibly hard to catch the right combination of vigor and spiritual afflatus in this march without descending into bombast, and I feel Maestro Rilling erred on the side of good taste, with the result that the piece goes at too low an emotional temperature and the miraculous release at the climax of the movement is underplayed. For me, the definitive performance of this movement remains the piano transcription of Ervin Nyiregyhazi, warts and all. This one reservation apart, I cannot recommend Rilling's traversal of Christus highly enough. Put this recording in your shopping cart now!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An astonishing work, March 22, 2011

By 

Mogulmeister "mogulmeister" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Liszt: Christus (Audio CD)

It's shocking that a work of such outstanding quality is so little known. I stumbled across this music entirely by accident, not even being aware that Liszt wrote such a large-scale composition. I'll also admit--I'm not the biggest Liszt fan either. But this piece defies all pre-conceptions. It's first-rate in every way, with some unbelievably gorgeous and moving music that on a first listen will make you sit up. What a find! Since I don't know any other performances, I can't compare this to any others, but it seems quite involved and effective to me. I'll echo the other comments - don't even hesitate to throw this in your cart and buy it.