The Voice of the Beloved: Daniel-Lesur, Martin & Messiaen
This is a radiant performance of Frank Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, comparable to Gramophone’s 1998 Recording of the Year winner from James O’Donnell’s Westminster Cathedral Choir.
A more recent comparative version comes from the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, but the Netherlands ensemble has the edge, with a more reverberant acoustic and a brighter sound.
- The new recording features a constant bounce and verve, sprung from the text.
- The sense of a ‘mass’ of sound is striking, achieved by skill from musicians and those who captured them.
Compare the way the Gloria cascades open with a sort of tumbling inevitability on the new recording.
Author's summary: Radiant performance of Frank Martin’s Mass.