Lauridsen: Lux Æterna [Import]

A wonderful musical experience from a master composer, Morten Lauridsen, along with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. They make a great musical team. Choral music is the new underground music. More people should expose themselves to this musical form at least once and this would be the ideal album to listen too to have a good spiritual, musical experience.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale has certainly done a fine job. No, more than fine; it is not even them. It is the greatness of Mr. Lauridsen's solid choral writing. As a teenage choral music enthusiast (enthusiast is a bit of an understatement) who expects a lot out of his music, I find most of the choral market today just doesn't appeal to me. It has all been done before. Not this.
The "Lux Aeterna" opens mystically, leading the listener to truly believe in the eternal rest and eternal light sung about. The "Les Chansons des Roses" are so poignant and soft, representing the greatest of a cappella choral music. "Dirait-on" has been named the most beautiful piece of music ever written, and I begin to believe it with this smooth, touching rendition. The balance between choir and piano is just right. The wrenching harmonies in the "Mid-Winter Songs" completely complement Robert Graves' poetry as they unleash terror and anger, then excitement, then sleep, and finally, calm love. Although the original version with piano accompaniment sings, the colorful orchestration brings out new motifs, new themes, evoking winter. The finale of the CD is the absolutely beautiful "O Magnum Mysterium" - perfectly sung, perfectly felt. So reverent a text has never found so reverent a score. I give this album my highest recommendation. Everyone I lend it to has a difficult time returning it (including my choir director). This is my absolute favorite CD.

I am a member of the official college choir at my school, and we recently performed almost all the works on this CD at a concert in Memphis except for the Ave Maria. We also performed the Madrigali, and the version of the Mid-Winter Songs we did was accompanied by the piano. Having sung these works all year long, this CD means something personal for me.

It took me awhile to find the beauty of Lux Aeterna, as its rhythmic patterns and harmonies seem to repeat and drone on incessantly, but after awhile I came to appreciate some of the harmonines (especially in the first and last movement)are incredibly rich. I love the canonical chant portions of the aforementioned movements and how all the voices come together in one glorious chord, musically portraying light coming in through all angles. The "Veni, Sanctus Spiritus" is an uplifting, joyous canticle that will lighten your spirits (couldn't resist). The comparisons in the harmonies to Brahms' "Ein Deustche Requiem" throughout the work are noteworthy.

Everybody goes for the "Dirait-on" movement of the Les Chansons des Roses, but for myself, it is the third movement, "De ton reve trop plein" that grabs my attention. The musical variety and text painting, as well as the rhythms and harmonies, send chills down my spine every time. This delightful little work is much more difficult to sing (especially from memory) than it sounds, but when a choir pulls it off just right, like this one does, the sound is just heavenly.

I can't say much about the Ave Maria as I have not performed it except to say that it is a most gorgeous piece; I am listening to it right now.

I remember the first time our choir opened the music for the Mid-Winter Songs, and when we sung those opening, bombastic measures, we all just laughed. True, it takes an open and appreciative ear to enjoy the Copland-esque nature of the work, but if you give it time, it will quickly become one of your favorites. From its explosive opening in "Lament for Pasiphae" to the elegiac closing of "Intercession in Late October," Lauridsen writes a wide variety of musical styles.

Finally, the CD closes appropriately with "O Magnum Mysterium," a heartwrenching work written very simply. The two g-sharps in the altos when the chorus reaches the word "virgo" will cause your ears to snap to attention and your heart as well; the fullness of the alleluia chorus that follows will move you to tears.

It's sad that there isn't enough room on the CD to fit the exquisite Madrigali song-cycle, but this CD will provide you with many hours of listening enjoyment. Excellent performances by choral and orchestral performers alike.