A very nice anthology, by Westminster, of choral pieces from different periods in Brahms' life. Conductors Henry Swoboda and Reinhold Schmidt lead persuasive accounts of Nanie, Gesang Der Parzen, Marienlieder, and Songs for Women's Voices in faithful monaural sound.
If you do not know the choral pieces of Brahms, you are missing something real special. Like any of his ensemble pieces for instruments, Brahms achieves a beautiful blend of lush sounds while never sacrificing articulation and clear phrasing. The music itself lends itself well to the text and the result is an experience which is pleasing to the ear and faithful to the message. Brahms' choral music captures the spirituality of the man that he could not fully express in his instrumental and chamber works. In order to capture Brahms' essence, you have to spend some time listening to the music he wrote for the most perfect of instruments.
No doubt, the Akademie Kammerchor prove to be excellent proponents of this interesting and varied program. These Viennese choristers most assuredly had this music in their blood and you can hear the love and respect they have for Brahms. You will love this program!
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