Customer Reviews

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vespers (Mass for Unaccompanied Chorus)

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was one of the 59 hand-picked voices that formed the 1989 Robert Shaw Festival Singers.

The emotional intensity of making this recording with Shaw was so overwhelming that I had to distance myself from this music for nearly a decade. Only within the last five years have I begun to listen to the recording again, stunned at its power, overwhelmed by the artistry Shaw brought to it, and convinced that the spirit of Sergei himself was present in that 12th-century cathedral in Gramat, France, on that hot, late July evening 15 years ago, when we recorded this masterpiece in a mere four hours. Something, some guiding presence (besides the all-too-intimidating Shaw himself) was in the room, and all of us felt it.

The recording has flaws. But not a lot of them. We learned the music in five days, rehearsed it in 95 degree temperatures with minimal ventilation (fans 'bothered Shaw's ears'), and got one day off (France's bicentennial Bastille Day) the entire month we were there. Shaw was relentless, demanding, moody, and distant. Did I resent it then? Yes. Do I look back and revere him and what he strove for now? Yes. Am I about as proud of this as anything I've ever been involved in? Yes again, a thousand times over. This recording is as fine as choral singing gets.

Robert Shaw and his Festival Singers have given us, in his arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninov's, "Vespers", quite possibly one of the most beautiful choral presentations recorded to date, (professorial critiques notwithstanding). Having listened to it countless times over a period of years, it still elicits awe, reverence, peace, spirituality, lumps in the throat and tears in the eyes. It was just as fresh this morning as it was two years ago. Because of the vocal range, the better the sound/speaker system the better the presentation. The depth of quality bass voices is just short of astounding, rivaling some of the best bass vocal presentations by well known Russian male choral groups. The tenor soloist is stellar, and Shaw's interpretation is, in my opinion, exquisite. If you have not heard this beautiful and moving work, you've missed a lot!

So different from the marvelous romantic piano concertos and etudes we're familiar with, this Rachmaninoff religious mass for unaccompanied chorus is exquisitely beautiful, and considered by many as the greatest of Russian Orthodox church music.
Hushed and peaceful, these chants don't stray far from the traditional melodies and harmonies, but raise them to heavenly heights.

The performance is magnificent. Robert Shaw masterfully conducts these wonderful voices, with tenor Karl Dent superb as the soloist. Recorded in Church of St. Pierre, Gramat, France, in 1989, the sound is excellent, and the libretto is in transliterated Russian and English. Total time: 65:53.
These are luminous songs of praise and joy, and will help filter out the negativity of the world, and bring us closer to the Source of All Creation.

While there are numerous recordings of Rachmaninov's Vespers, this one stands out as one of the best. The diction is good. Intonation is surprisingly good (considering most choirs have trouble). The blend of voices is superior, but the basses should be brought out more. Looking at this recording from a liturgical standpoint, there are a few things I have a problem with. First off, the tempi are too slow. Apparently, Shaw seems enjoying going from slow to slower. Second is the tenor soloist. One thing Russian Orthodox voices were known for was their soft, mellow, and angelic quality and not for their operatic tenors. The third is rhythm. In Russian Liturgical Music, rhythm is determined by the text (so time signatures in essence are useless). If they had followed the text more closely, the songs would sound even less "sectioned" and flow together even more seamlessly. Aside from these points, Shaw did an excellent job with this work.

I probably would have rated Robert Shaw's technically fine presentation "five stars," had I not already heard the Philips recording, Evening Star - the Rachmnaninoff Vespers, an offering by Nikolai Korniev and the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir at St. Peter and St. Paul, St. Petersburg, Russia.

The latter, superb recording from Russia has depth, visceral rhythms (where appropriate), power, and elswhere, delicate etherial qualities, and a spectrum of changing vocal colors not seemingly possible from an unaccompanied choir. The basses possess the foundation that makes Russian choirs legendary. Most of these qualities are simply not there in the Robert Shaw version.

Robert Shaw's 'Vespers' is a worthy addition to your collection, but you owe it to yourself first to audition Evening Star.

I have two recordings of Rachmaninov's gorgeous Vespers, this one and the 1999 King's College Choir version (also avaialable on amazon.com). Both recordings are excellent, but this one from the Robert Shaw Festival Singers is my clear favorite. Much as I love the sound of King's, in this case the performance of the Festival Singers is so assured and inspiring -- nearly ethereal -- that I can't help but find the King's version slightly dull in comparison. Beyond the gorgeous singing and fabulous solo work on this disc, the music itself is truly one of the finest liturgical works of the 20th century. Imagine a darkened, candle-light Russian church on a quiet evening, with the choir performing this music, and it is easy to see how even the most hardened atheist could be inspired by it. The inherent spirituality of this music is beautifully expressed by the Singers, who sound as though they feel every note and rhythm and believe every word they sing. I am not very familiar with Rachmaninov's music so I can't offer any deep analysis of the music except to say that I truly and thoroughly enjoy it and cannot imagine anyone who loves choral music being disappointed with this recording of it. If you are looking to purchase a recording of unusual beauty that will be enjoyed time and time again, this is definitely one to go for.

This was the only version I had for the longest time but although I enjoyed the piece I never was that excited by the performance. Then I listened to the Swedish Radio Choir version --- unfortunately, Robert Shaw Singers sound like amateurs next to these guys. First you realize how Americanized the Russian is on Shaw's recording and second you realize how weak the basses sound. The sum experience for the Shaw is that although quite beautiful at times it is overall muddy and the choir is not together (the opening number is especially noticeable --- it sounds as if the basses are about an eighth to a sixteenth behind ... and the diction ... let us just say that the choir needed ALOT more prep, so I understand why a few reviewers who seem Russian would call this trash ... imagine James Brown sung with the a strong Swedish accent!). Lastly, I think Shaw was attempting for what the French call the long line --- in other words he wanted the melodies to flow one into another as if one giant etheral exhalation. Unfortunately, he ended up with too little variance in dynamics and, with the diction problems, a rather bland sound many times.

Sorry to be so negative, I have heard other work by Shaw that is quite georgeous and worth keeping --- unfortunately not this CD.

I strongly recommend the Swedish Radio Choir or try the Russian choirs mentioned by others or even Holliard --- I do not know these versions at all but if you find one in the library try them out.

This is a supreme recording of the All-Night Vigil, no two ways about it. Tenor Karl Dent's singing of the Nyne Otpushchayeshi (Nunc dimittus) is monumental, it takes your breath away. Among so many atributes, Shaw's pacing of this piece leaves nothing wanting; the spaces breathe and contact is multi-dimensional from the first moment until the end. I think the scope and beauty of Shaw's re-creation is unrivalled since the USSR Russian Chorus version on vinyl (never issued on CD). Every musical detail is seen to both by Shaw and his singers; rarely has any great choir sung with such freedom and musicianship, the hallmark of Shaw's legacy surely, and it is munificent and enticing here. There's nothing that's not in service to the music, and utterly unaware of itself - it's the most imposing art imaginable. This is music making of tremendous humility and perfection. a palpable transfixion of Rachmaninov's unearthly score. The basses are radiant, the soloists sing with refined discretion, and there's not a single artistic intention left unrealized. Some will wander to barely brighter sonics, and it's true, but this is an incomparable version of the All-Night Vigil. It's magnificent.

This is quite simply perfection.

Robert Shaw almost didn't record it.

He was unhappy with the facility at the Emory Institute in Quercy, France. He was angry in fact. He was going to cancel the recording session altogether until he relented at the last minute.

Thank God.

They recorded it in ONE TAKE. This is unheard of...and VERY SPECIAL! It is no less than STUNNING.

I heard this from Weston Noble, choral music professor at Luther College (Decorah, IA) and long-time friend and colleage of the late Mr. Shaw. Mr. Noble told us that this was the best choral CD that he owned and that we should all get it. I did and I LOVE IT!

My advice... don't hesitate... get this beautiful album!

I have two recordings of Rachmaninov's gorgeous Vespers, this one and the 1999 King's College Choir version (also avaialable on amazon.com). Both recordings are excellent, but this one from the Robert Shaw Festival Singers is my clear favorite. Much as I love the sound of King's, in this case the performance of the Festival Singers is so assured and inspiring -- nearly ethereal -- that I can't help but find the King's version slightly dull in comparison. Beyond the gorgeous singing and fabulous solo work on this disc, the music itself is truly one of the finest liturgical works of the 20th century. Imagine a darkened, candle-lit Russian church on a quiet evening, with the choir performing this music, and it is easy to see how even the most hardened atheist could be inspired by it. The inherent spirituality of this music is beautifully expressed by the Singers, who sound as though they feel every note and rhythm and believe every word they sing. I am not very familiar with Rachmaninov's music so I can't offer any deep analysis of the music except to say that I truly and thoroughly enjoy it and cannot imagine anyone who loves choral music being disappointed with this recording of it. If you are looking to purchase a recording of unusual beauty that will be enjoyed time and time again, this is definitely one to go for.