Rachmaninoff: Vespers / Cleobury, King's College Choir

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Music reviews of Rachmaninoff: Vespers / Cleobury, King's College Choir

Music Review: Highly Recommended Rachmaninoff Vespers
Rating: 5 Stars

Ensemble, balance, and intonation are excellent throughout, as is recording quality. The boy soprano timbre floats on top of the group excellently, although it does strain in some of the louder sections and towards the end. The basses have a solid low C, although the Bb is inconsistent and not secure enough at the end of V. The group's Russian diction is uniform and excellent as well. Mr. Cleobury does a particularly beautiful job of crafting the melodic lines in IX, X, and XI. Some of the tempos are faster than other recordings and I wish that he had let his choir take V at the same pace as XI. The Nunc Dimittis here is one of the fastest that I have heard, and although the intonation and ensemble never suffer, some of the words do blur together. I would prefer that the soloist tone it down a bit as well, especially in V, where I heard the same bizarre ornament that Robert Shaw's tenor soloist inserted.

This recording also opens with chant, which seems to be becoming standard procedure on newer recordings, as groups are working to recreate the liturgical setting of the work. Notes are good throughout, and transliterated texts and translations (as well as sources) are included. I wish that someone would include the original text in Cyrillic letters with a recording of this work!

This is an excellent Vespers recording, although it doesn't beat out Chernushenko's on Russian Season. The use of boy sopranos gives it something unique to offer and the recording is certainly not short on emotion. If you enjoy choral music, this deserves a place in your collection. It is a great way to enjoy one of music greatest treasures.

Description of Rachmaninoff: Vespers / Cleobury, King's College Choir

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