Psalms of Repentance
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 1999
Of German-Jewish heritage, Alfred Schnittke converted to Catholicism yet drew upon Russian Orthodox musical traditions among many others for the collage-like "polystylism" of his music. Schnittke attains a new level of severely controlled beauty in the a cappella Psalms of Repentance, given here in a superb recording by the Swedish Radio Choir. --Thomas May
Amazon.com essential recording
Although Alfred Schnittke's Psalms of Repentance was written for the concert hall, its impact is unquestionably spiritual and its origins are centered in a deeply felt, highly personal credo. Eleven of the twelve psalms, whose texts are taken from a 16th-century collection of Old Russian writings, reflect the melodic and rhythmic inflection of Russian liturgical chant but bear little or no musical resemblance to the ancient forms. In fact, the music is marvelously and effectively... read more
Psalms of Repentance
Psalms of Repentance, Music, Alfred Schnittke, Tonu Kaljuste, Swedish Radio Choir, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Classical Vocals, Modern Composition
Average customer rating:
- Brilliant
- Excellent first impression - quite disappointing afterwards
- Transportation to a World Beyond this World
- stark beauty of voices, humility and repentance
- 4th dimension
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Psalms of Repentance
Alfred Schnittke , Tonu Kaljuste , and Swedish Radio Choir
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
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Similar Items:
- Schnittke: Symphony No.7/Cello Concerto No.1
- Alfred Schnittke: Symphony No. 4/Three Sacred Hymns
- Schnittke: Symphony 6 / Concerto Grosso 2 / Polyansky
- Schnittke: Symphony No. 1
- Schnittke: Choir Concerto
ASIN: B00000K2KS
Release Date: 1999-10-05 |
Tracks:
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: I
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: II
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: III
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: IV
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: V
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: VI
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: VII
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: VIII
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: IX
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: X
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: XI
- Psalms Of Repentance For A Mixed Choir: XII
Amazon.com's Best of 1999
Of German-Jewish heritage, Alfred Schnittke converted to Catholicism yet drew upon Russian Orthodox musical traditions among many others for the collage-like "polystylism" of his music. Schnittke attains a new level of severely controlled beauty in the a cappella Psalms of Repentance, given here in a superb recording by the Swedish Radio Choir. --Thomas May
Amazon.com essential recording
Although Alfred Schnittke's Psalms of Repentance was written for the concert hall, its impact is unquestionably spiritual and its origins are centered in a deeply felt, highly personal credo. Eleven of the twelve psalms, whose texts are taken from a 16th-century collection of Old Russian writings, reflect the melodic and rhythmic inflection of Russian liturgical chant but bear little or no musical resemblance to the ancient forms. In fact, the music is marvelously and effectively eclectic--polystylistic, to use the term usually associated with Schnittke's music; yet it projects an unmistakable originality that owes much to Schnittke's masterful, seamless weaving of the old with the new, from thick-textured traditional harmonies to tone clusters, from chromatic passages to whole-tone scales. This is a tour de force for any choir, and Tonu Kaljuste's Swedish Radio Choir shows here why it is one of today's top contemporary-music ensembles. Highlights include the beautiful, otherworldly Sixth Psalm, and the final Psalm No. 12--an ethereal, wordless prayer, a masterpiece of choral writing and choral singing. Significantly, Schnittke revealed to an interviewer that he saw his task as a composer "not to think up or create music, but to listen." After hearing this music, we can't help but marvel and be moved by the remarkable sounds he heard. --David Vernier
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant.......2005-10-04
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.
Excellent first impression - quite disappointing afterwards.......2005-07-12
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.
Transportation to a World Beyond this World.......2005-03-20
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
stark beauty of voices, humility and repentance.......2004-12-21
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 Eight Best composers of the late 20th century -- see my list by that name as well.
4th dimension.......2001-12-02
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!
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Release Date: 1992-12-01 |
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