Customer Reviews

Schnittke: Psalms of Repentance

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

 

 

Alfred Schnittke has followed his amazing Choir Concerto with another masterpiece for a cappella choir. The dark texts in these Psalms of Repentance are exquisitely portrayed in Schnittke's writing. With influences from Russian Orthodox chant, (perhaps the most beautiful style of chant) Schnittke creates a mystical mist that is at times spirtually moving, and at times fearfully eerie. The work consist of several short psalms that each contain there own diverse character that on their own are masterpieces. The performance is wonderfully done, and there seem to be very few problems with intonation which is the biggest concern in a contemporary work for a cappella choir. Schnittke's writing embraces all styles, from chant, to traditional harmony, to extremely dissonant harmonies. Schnittke uses extreme dissonance to create pain within the listner as though they themselves were repenting. For a new composition this work is very accessible. I recommend this CD to those who love the choral music of both Arvo Part and John Tavener.

PSALMS OF REPENTANCE is a stunningly beautiful 1996 recording of the Swedish Radio Choir, conducted by Tonu Kaljuste, singing the compositions of Alfred Schnittke and a late 16th century Orthodox text. Schnittke, whose father was Jewish, converted to his mother's Catholicism in 1982, but he mainly used the Russian Orthodox tradition in his sacred music. The premiere performance in Moscow with Valery Polyansky conducting, on the second day of Christmas 1988, marked the 1000th anniversary of the Christianization of Russia.

PSALMS adheres "...closely to the melodic and rhythmic patterns of Russian liturgical chant, with its predominantly syllabic, declamatory rhythms and its characteristic melodic line dominated by half-tone and whole-tone steps oscillating around a very narrow tonal centre." (from the liner notes by Uwe Schweikert). Though inevitably reflecting Schnittke's complex influences (sounding like Ligeti from time to time!), the PSALMS are simpler and more traditional than the CHOIR CONCERTO of 1984/5, which was more clearly an example of polystylism. The stark black and white ECM packaging is typically elegant and appropriate.

We all have reason to repent, some more than others... This music is most relevant at this darkest time of year, the time of the Solstice, the time of Christmas.

"...and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us,"

AMEN.

For more Schnittke recordings and reviews, see my SCHNITTKE: A LISTENER'S GUIDE list. I consider Schnittke to be one of THE 12 BEST COMPOSERS OF THE LATE 20th CENTURY -- see my list by that name as well.

Though the works of composer Alfred Schnittke have not withstood the critics of the other mid to late 20th Century composers such as Part, Glass, Ades, Salonen, Adams, Lindberg etc, returning to works such as this very fine recording of the PSALMS OF REPENTANCE for Mixed Acapella Choir brings renewed value to his output. This work is wholly beautiful in its mood and the subtle variations of the vocal line. Thoroughly grounded in tonality does not mean that Schnittke does not take excursions into dissonance or sliding timbres of the vocal line. There are very creatively challenging portions (think Ligeti, Messiaen) embedded in these twelve setting from the Psalms. His blocks of vocal sound could move mountains, so wide is their spectrum of resonating harmonies.

For sheer beauty of choral singing it is difficult to stray form the 'Russian sound' that Schnittke captures here. Not only are the lyrics sung in Russian, but the extraordinarily fine choral sound produced by the Swedish Radio Choir under the sensitive direction of Tonu Kaljuste follows not only the plainsong of the opening psalms but plumbs the depths of resonance (as in the 5th psalm) of the massed full choral sound.

If you can sit through this 51 minute cycle of psalms without feeling transported from this troubled world to another more vast and ultimately comforting one....well, maybe try listening again.... Grady Harp, March 05

Schnittke is one of my favourite composers. While many great composers have works that could be considered "commercial", including Beethoven, Brahms and many others; every piece of Schnittke's music, while never adhering to a particular style is ALWAYS meaningful and powerful.

This recording is beautifully conducted and sung by Kaljuste and the SRC, with an incredible sense of control over the choral sound through the most intense crescendi and ghostly quiet moments. In the 9th movement when the whole choir is singing homophonically at around 6:15, it is as though the world has disappeared and we are left in private company with the divine.

This piece could make an atheist believe.

This is one of the best choir recordings of all times! The music has the depth of northern european melancholy, it's almost not from this earth!

The otherwise perfect recording of this wonderful Schnittke's work is spoiled by the accent of the singers - you just drift away thinking that the performance is perfect until the first grave mispronounciations of the Russian words that spoil everything.
The Russian text in the booklet first surprises you by the use of the authentic old Russian orthography, but, similarly to the impression produced by the singing, at a closer inspection, it turnes out that spelling mistakes occur litetally in every second line, which gravely spoils the impression the booklet produces.
This cd produces an excellent first impression - but unfortunately it is extremely far from the excellence of performance which this wonderful music calls for.

Schnittke requires onlya 5 star performance...sadly this recording lacks the skills to bring out the complete potential of this moving music..I had the cd and sold it yrs ago, in the hopes Polyanski would record...but it has not materialized..i am tempted to buy this one again or the other *so-so* recording by Parkman...another reviewer mentioned he heard the score live bya russian chorus and said parkman's attempt fell far short of the glory in this music.
I can not believe that 15+ yrs after schnittke penned this supreme masterpiece, as yet no russian chorus has recorded.....will I geta russian recording before I leave this earth?...
I agree with the other 1 star review, chorus' not up to the task.
Buy the cd only to get to know the score, but do not expect the score's full blossom.