3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine version of a rewarding work, November 7, 2009
This review is from: Liszt: Christus (Audio CD)
Liszt wrote a rather large number of large-scale choral and orchestral works in the latter part of his life. They have never achieved huge popularity, and it isn't hard to hear why - the style is surprisingly austere and reflective and there are few immediately striking things in them; still, they tend to grow on the listener on repeated listenings, and the three hour oratorium Christus is, if not quite a masterpiece, a very impressive work. It contains, for instance, an almost half-hour, slow-moving and superficially simply Stabat Mater Speciosa for female chorus alone, sure to stretch patience on first hearing but actually quite stirring; the only really instantly memorable tune is probably the one from the March of the Three Holy Kings. But this work isn't for listeners on the lookout for simple thrills and orchestral pyrotechnics, and for the rest of us there are ample musical rewards.
What about the performances? Rilling chooses a rather brisk tempo for the opening movements, which I think works rather well, and he generally shapes the music with a good sense of direction and purpose. The orchestral playing is generally good, but there is a certain lack of subtlety and beauty of tone at places - I can imagine a more glowing performance, but at least Rilling keeps the pace up and does not submit to the real danger of sounding belabored. I have no qualms about the singing, either from soloists or chorus; in fact, the impressive line-up of vocalists lives up to one's expectations. Sound quality is more than good enough, so this set can be firmly recommended.
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