The End of the Line

 

After having a good run listening to Rossini, we will part ways for a while.

I am finishing off with this 3CD set of early orchestrated choral works. This recording is a bit of a curator's egg, however.

These performances present very rare sacred choral music, mostly stemming from the years 1808-1810, putting the composer at around 16-18 years of age.

Like the String Sonatas, written in his twelfth year, these have a Mozart-ian elegance alongside Rossini's inherent abilities with solo voice. As a matter of fact, with the exception of the 1810 Kyrie, all of these works focus primarily on solo voice more than any choral, although that element is here too.

The last three tracks of Disc 3 come from 1832-1847, finding Rossini after his retirement from composing opera, yet these are unadulterated arias. The late Drahomíra Drobková covers the orchestral song Joan of Arc, and she is by far the finest singer on this set. She has a meaty low end, but is remarkably facile of voice. Paolo Orecchia's Quoniam is fine, but the melismatic goat bleating is not my cup of tea. The whole set ends with a solo male trio in Tantum Ergo; it is drippingly Italianate and a wonderful send off for the album.

The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (I am not sure which one) plays well, even if it is not the finest ensemble ever heard. The San Paolo / SM Studio recording is very loud, but balances everything well enough. The Czech soloists can be tiring from their heavy, Slavic singing voices, especially when early Rossini is more Classical Era influenced rather than Romantic. None really stand out to me other than Drobková mentioned earlier, although Vladimir Okenko's Ave Maria is beautifully paired with Eva Lustigová's solo violin.

The larger works, including the two incomplete Mass settings 'di Rimini' and 'di Ravenna', Miserere, the four Liturgic Pieces, and some others are multi-movement compositions, yet the recording sticks them on one long track. This doesn't affect listening, but it makes it hard to return to specific places. The liner notes are excellent, however, and come in many languages.

If you are looking for some rare sacred vocal works from an Italian master, this recording should suffice just fine, at least for the most devoted Rossini collector; after all, these works can't really be found other places. While the recording quality and orchestral playing will satisfy, expect a range of timbre qualities from the Slavic solo singers.

Listen on YouTube

Works
Kyrie (8.24)
Credo (11.39)
Messa di Ravenna (25.13)
Tantum Ergo (6.30)
Kyrie (15.19)
Liturgic Pieces (15.19)
Messa di Rimini (47.49)
Miserere (28.39)
Joan of Arc (16.49)
Quoniam (7.33)
Tantum Ergo (8.57)

Soloists
Jiřina Marková, soprano
Yvona Škvárová, mezzo-soprano
Drahomíra Drobková, contralto
José Antonio Campo, tenor
Vladimir Dolezal, tenor
Vladimir Okenko, tenor
Paolo Orecchia, baritone
Jiří Kalendovský, bass
Miloslav Podskalský, bass

Performers
Prague Philharmonic Choir
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Edoardo Brizio & Pavel Kühn, conductor

Label: San Paulo / Studio SM
Year: 1994
Total Timing: 3.10.11

Really, this is probably only for the Rossini devotee.

But, for those who wander to this recording, you will find remarkably fine early compositions from the composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Rossini recordings HERE!