Customer Reviews

The Male Choir of St. Petersburg

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was fortunate to hear The Male Choir of St. Petersburg perform at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, and was stunned by the power and beauty of their song. The director, aware that the deep, resonate voices struck a chord within each member of the audience, held the final note of each song until it echoed from the rafters. The songs are usually traditional Russian songs, but are not religious chants, as many people seem to expect - one song, called "O My Field" is an ode to a farmer's plot of ground. I recommend this album, a great opportunity to revel in the beauty of the male voice.

I was thrilled to receive such a rare and beautiful recording, with such an unusual sound; it's so unlike the usual Occidental male choir, with all the attention on the tenors. The baritones, basses, and basses profundi make this a riveting aural experience.

One note, however - I have also bought the just-released Folk Songs disc, by the same choir. It turns out that all the folk songs on the first disc are included on the second, with another five or six new works. Then, half way through the thing, the Male Choir is replaced by a mixed voice ensemble, performing songs not annotated or even mentioned in the notes, and while the material is not without appeal, being all Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish in origin, nonetheless it's all something of a let down. Amazon might have made more of all this before the disc was released, so that people like me, who awaited it with great anticipation, would not be disappointed. I will watch more closely whenever, if ever, a third disc comes out.

It should be noted that the first disc, what we have here, is issued by EMI, an old and prestigious label with years of experience. The new Folk Songs disc is released by a Russian label, in a totally bilingual package, and is therefor a completely new and different effort. That the recordings sound as good as they do is a credit to the conductor.

Liked the album very much, however, there is a problem with it if you download it. One the tracks (11/20) is corrupted on the Amazon's servers. This means that even if you download it multiple times the corruption is still there. I tried this with a very helpful customer service agent. He said that I would get an e-mail soon when the issue has been resolved. I will update as soon as I find out when the track has been updated.

Good music and well recorded.
Not easy to find in Europe, thank's to be able to purchase anywhere !
Delay respected.

Since receiving this recording. I have shared this delightful and masterful selection of sacred and secular songs, to a number of friends. The basso profundo and the angelic voice of the counter-tenor on several of the tracks were, breathtaking and humbling.
Anyone who looks for inspiring and touching music hadn't look any further.