Janacek: Glagolitic Mass & Taras Bulba
Aga Mikolaj (soprano), Iris Vermillion (contralto), Stuart Neill (tenor), Arutjun Kotchinian (bass)
RundfunkSinfonieorchester & Chor Berlin, Marek Janowski
A lean, cleanly contoured Glagolitic, lacking the elemental charge and raw abandon of some versions. Taras Bulba is generally well played, if again short on real cutting edge and excitement.
Janacek: Glagolitic Mass & Taras Bulba
Aga Mikolaj (soprano), Iris Vermillion (contralto), Stuart Neill (tenor), Arutjun Kotchinian (bass)
RundfunkSinfonieorchester & Chor Berlin, Marek Janowski
Purchase product
A lean, cleanly contoured Glagolitic, lacking the elemental charge and raw abandon of some versions. Taras Bulba is generally well played, if again short on real cutting edge and excitement.
About
This album offers two of the best known and most loved works by Leoš Janáček. The Glagolitic Mass was thus described by a musicologist: "It has absolutely everything, it’s engrossing and enthralling and captivating and startling and soothing and primitive and pristine and incredibly spiritual".
Taras Bulba is a Rhapsody for Orchestra. The work combines diffuse, almost easy-listening romanticism with enough mystery and tangy dissonance to tell you immediately who the composer is. The orchestra, choir and conductor on this album are familiar from many other PentaTone Recordings such as the Wagner Edition and the Brahms Requiem (PTC5186361).
Contents and tracklist
- Aga Mikolaj, Iris Vermillion, Stuart Neill, Arutjun Kotchinian, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Awards and reviews
April 2013
A lean, cleanly contoured Glagolitic, lacking the elemental charge and raw abandon of some versions. Taras Bulba is generally well played, if again short on real cutting edge and excitement.
July 2013
Janowski takes an altogether gentler view of the work compared to the ebullient energy of Kubelik and in particular Mackerras...Not suprisingly, Janowski is at his most effective in the 'Agnece Bozij' (Agnus Dei); this is gracefully done. The extraordinary organ solo is well played
