BBC Music Magazine

Martin • Martin

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Martin: Mass for Double Choir; Songs of Ariel from Shakespear­e’s ‘The Tempest’; Martinu˚: 4 Marian Songs; Romance of the Dandelions Danish National Vocal Ensemble/ Marcus Creed

OUR Recordings 6.220671 (hybrid CD/ SACD) 64:13 mins

Frank Martin turned reticence about the public exposure of his music into a fine art. His Mass for two choirs was composed in 1922,

but did not see the light of day until 1963 and then only because of the forceful interventi­on of the German conductor Franz Brunnert. Why so coy? The Kyrie with its sinuous modal choral lines has immediate appeal. The Gloria shows a certain affinity with the double choir motets of Bach, but the result is individual and always engaging.

Composed nearly 30 years later, Martin’s atmospheri­c settings of familiar verse from Shakespear­e’s The Tempest shares the postimpres­sionist world of the Mass, but with a rather sharper edge. In both works, the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, directed by Marcus Creed, produces an excellentl­y-integrated sound, although they might have been bolder in defining climactic phrases in the longer movements.

Both of the Martin works recorded here have strong folk roots. While outwardly simple, the Four Songs for Mary, composed in 1934, go well beyond their initial, folk-song inspiratio­n with rich harmonies and a clear blend of depth and humour. The Romance of the Dandelions belongs to a group of cantatas composed toward the end of his life and rich in nostalgia for his youth in the Bohemian-moravian highlands. The textures are more experiment­al, with choral humming and an extensive solo for soprano, beautifull­y sung here. The choir’s Czech declamatio­n could be more pointed, but overall the singers deliver performanc­es that capture the restrained radiance of these lovely works. Jan Smaczny

PERFORMANC­E ★★★★ RECORDING ★★★★

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