Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor; Judith Bingham: Mass [Import]

Ralph Vaughan Williams (Composer), Judith Bingham (Composer), Ian Aitkenhead (Performer), Robert Quinney (Performer), Andrew Carwood (Performer), Nicholas Keay (Performer), Christopher Watson (Performer), Clifford Lister (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ian Aitkenhead, Robert Quinney, Andrew Carwood, Nicholas Keay, Christopher Watson, et al.
• Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams, Judith Bingham
• Audio CD (June 14, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B0009352I8
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,220 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Te Deum In G Major

2. I. Kyrie

3. II. Gloria

4. III. Credo

5. IV. Sanctus

6. V. Benedictus

7. VII. Agnus Dei

8. O Vos Omnes

9. Valiant-For-Truth

10. A Vision For Aeroplanes

11. I. Preamble: The Road To Emmaeus

12. II. Kyrie

13. III. Gloria

14. IV. Offertory: Et Aperti Sunt Oculi

15. V. Sanctus And Benedictus

16. VI. Agnus Dei

17. VII. Voluntary: Et Cognoverunt Eum

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical perspective on the Mass in G minor by Vaughan Williams, December 3, 2005

By 

jean couture (Quebec city - Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor; Judith Bingham: Mass (Audio CD)

The Mass in G minor is part perhaps of VW's "neglected" works. That's quite unfair because it is one of his supreme compositions : It is a creation of such magnitude and novelty that there was possibly no equivalent in the twentieth century, as far as choral music is concerned. The opus was dedicated to the composer's well-known fellow Gustav Holst and his student choir, the wondrous Whitsuntide Singers--eventually recognized as "some of Britain's finest singers." Barry Creasy, chairman of the Collegium Musicum of London, observed that "it is justly described as the first `English' Mass setting since the sixteenth century and the time of Byrd and Tallis." Herbert Howells's Mass in the Dorian Mode predates Vaughan Williams's G minor by over a decade ; the work was first heard at Westminster Cathedral in November 1912. Still, as Andrew Carwood justly remarked, in his notes about VW's Mass, "Howells wrote his Mass in the Dorian Mode in 1912 but more as an exercise in polyphonic writing than a serious original composition. Thus it could be argued that Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor of 1922 was the first substantial, unaccompanied setting to be written with a distinctly English voice since the time of William Byrd in the sixteenth century." In fact, the work mingles at once old and new architectural methods, harmonically, and seems to be in convergence with "modern" or "contemporary" forms of expression--as encountered now in some of Arvo Part's pieces. Quite possibly some orchestrations of the minimalist sort, as heard nowadays, owes much to composers like Finzi and Vaughan Williams... The Mass in G minor might have helped define a "new trend" in English choral music--consciously or not, as illustrated eloquently through a number of sacred and secular works from Edmund Rubbra and John Rutter. I absolutely agree with the author Julia E.T. Bailey who wrote that "this piece was one of the pioneers in the rebirth of the a cappella music tradition." Bailey, who works at the Royal Academy of Arts, gives an utterly interesting look at British composers in her essay talking about the impact of the Great War on British Music.

Aaron Green (B.A. in Music degree, cum laude), writer for [...], rightly observed that "Ralph Vaughan Williams was a 20th century composer, yet this mass sounds almost baroque to an untrained ear. Composed 1921, Vaughan Williams's Mass reverted to the `old school' tradition of a cappella polyphonic style - a breakthrough in modern composition." Not closely associated with the church, Vaughan Williams was described by his wife Ursula as "a cheerful agnostic." Yet, he had a profound empathy for church music. Moreover, the "design" of the work was deliberately archaic, necessarily pointing to its basic source. It was devised for four soloists (SATB*) and double mixed chorus. Richard Terry and his famous choir at Westminster Cathedral gave the first liturgic performance in March of 1923. (*SATB = Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Baritone)

For conductor, scholar and singer of fame Andrew Carwood, "this duality between the `modern idiom' and the `old liturgical spirit' lies at the heart of the composition's success. It takes as its starting point the sound world of the sixteenth century with its modal writing and subtle imitation. The Mass seems to reach back to a long-forgotten world, yet it is not some atavistic exercise but new music, colored by Vaughan Williams's love of rich harmonies and made more dramatic by the juxtaposition of sinuous Gregorian-like lines with blazing choral antiphony. These effects are achieved by a scoring very similar to the Tallis Fantasia." The work is simultaneously complex and simple. There's a modesty in the design, a sort of reserve, which certainly translates a trait of the composer's personality. Perhaps more than in any other work, the composer had succeeded with the Mass in reflecting his spirit, with a look back at the many losses left behind the Great War. I'll quote again Julia E.T. Bailey : "For English music, the principle result of World War One was a retreat into the past. English composers were keen to distance themselves from musical styles adopted from their Teutonic cousins and instead returned to the only genre that they knew for sure to be solely English - folk music. Composers in this type became known as the `Pastoral School'. In many ways they were indebted to the war and also the Irish revolution, for without them there would not have been such a withdrawal into bygone English music and in all probability the country would never have reclaimed a separate identity from Germany. But inspired by intense patriotism and a desire to escape from the present political climate, English music underwent something of a Renaissance, in which "folk-song was to be the salvation" (ref. Stradling and Hughes, 1993). Also revived was the music of sixteenth-century English composers, such as Thomas Tallis, William Byrd and Thomas Weelkes. The twentieth-century composers did not directly duplicate their work, but rather combined music theory learnt since then and a particularly strong influence of modern music with the Renaissance style." The sound of such works as the Tallis Fantasia and the Mass in G minor is almost unique in modern music. The rich polyphonic expression found in those works wasn't replicated by the great Elgar, and even Britten did not merely approach that genre--not even in his most famous works such as the War Requiem.

I will quote Mary W. Helms, secretary for the Summit Chorale at Drew University : "In the Mass, Vaughan Williams applies modes to consecutive triads with consequent occurrence of the parallel fifths and false relations characteristic of pre-classical English composers. However, in spite of such seeming archaisms, the harmonic language of the Mass is both contemporary and uniquely Vaughan Williams. It is a perfect example 'of breathing new life into old styles' . . ." For all purpose, we shouldn't underestimate the influence of J.S. Bach (with his huge B minor Mass, "arguably the greatest choral work ever written") on the mind and creative process of the 50-year-old British composer. Bach, as we know, was one of Vaughan Williams's long-term favorites.

One commentator, in the classical music forum at [...], noted that "The G Minor Mass [...] is absolutely heartbreaking. Composed in 1921, it is one of the most perfect (along with Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin) expressions of the grievous and shattering loss caused by that terrible war. The 'Benedictus' is so personal--i suspect it was about George Butterworth [...]." Another commentator remarked pertinently : "What i love about this piece are its rich harmonies and flowing melodies. Its polyphonic, a cappella structure sounds very old, despite the fact it was composed in the 1920's. The Roger Wagner Chorale performed it often. One of Roger's tricks was, in the final 'Agnus Dei', to double the bass line an octave lower (like a Russian chorus). It was an amazing thing to do and really opened up that last page (where it expands to 12 parts). There is a long out of print Capitol Records recording of it."

Indeed, it appears seemingly futile trying to discuss the work in length without mentioning the important contribution of the Roger Wagner Chorale. Perhaps, it's worthwhile to indicate that the recording of the Mass by the Roger Wagner Chorale, paired with a Bach cantata, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1961. "There can be no question that the Chorale's record of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor is the finest recording of that piece on the planet" (Dave Haberle). Years ago, i had the chance myself to acquire the original LP (Capitol SP8535, issued 1960). "With its simple left-to-right movement of sound, this mass is a typical early stereo recording. It is also a richly warm one that is in the service of its music." According to Steve Schwartz, the work is "the finest a cappella mass since the Elizabethans - the vocal equivalent of the Tallis Fantasia. [...] Roger Wagner led his Chorale in the piece's best performance to date, with a stirring account of Bach's Cantata No. 4 on the flip side - a classic recording of the stereo LP era. All others have paled in comparison. Wagner succeeds because he recognizes the energy within."

I do not subscribe necessarily to a monopolist idea in regards to the Mass in G minor ; instead, i suppose there are different "ways" to convey its greatness, to decipher its appealing musicality. The integrity of the work must be preserved though, with its inward nuance and architecture invariably clarified. The best interpretation must radiate its resounding depth, its restrained, mournful tone, with a sort of church-like austerity and dignified reverence. What i feel listening to the Mass in G minor is solace. The same kind of feeling i have when i enter in a small chapel or a church. Despite being relatively monolithic in structure, the work is sufficiently supple as to make sure that one of its parts can be excerpted in a program without wiping out the sense of coherence. The Agnus Dei, for instance, can stand alone on a record or program, as is often the case, and will not sound like a "bleeding chunk" contrarily to some grand scale works from Johann Sebastian Bach--such as the Mass in B minor--or W.A. Mozart's famous Requiem (there are works which do not bear the dictated "cuts" as easily as others, but that is not the case with VW's Mass).

Someday i hope someone chez EMI will resuscitate the Roger Wagner on cd, as i do believe it amply deserves a reissue. I have exactly the same query regarding the quintessential LP of Vaughan Williams's `The Sons of Light' (coupled with Parry's `Ode on the Nativity' on the Lyrita SRCS 125 LP), wondering why Lyrita let this and many other treasures gather dust in the safety vault (as an update, it is worth mentioning that most of the... Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Performance by a Great Choir of a Great Work by a Great Composer, January 28, 2007

By 

Kerry K. Kaneko - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor; Judith Bingham: Mass (Audio CD)

What more can be added to the very thorough, highly informative, and most enlightening Amazon editorial and member reviews by Edith Eisler and jean couture? These are outstanding performances by the Choir of Westminster Cathedral of the Mass in G minor and other choral pieces by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

5.0 out of 5 stars RVW & Bingham - a great pair, January 15, 2012

By 

M. Monroe-Fischer "Scottie lover" (Loveland, CO, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vaughan Williams: Mass in G minor; Judith Bingham: Mass (Audio CD)

This CD is excellent. You cannot beat Vaughan Williams, and Judith Bingham's Mass (Missa Brevis "The Road to Emmaeus" is an excellent match. Well performed.