Choral-orchestral works

"This fine disc ... caps a splendidly conceived programme whose main purpose is to place Fanny Hensel's delightfully thoughtful vocal music in the context of two of her brother's more familiar contributions to the genre ... On the one hand Temple's innovative programming contrasts Felix's Bachian Christmas cantata Von Himmel Hoch with the weird yet wonderful secular ballad Die erste Walpurgisnacht; on the other he directs a pair of little known works by his beloved sister Fanny, the brief biblical cantata Hiob (Job) and Gartenlieder, a touching yet ambitious cycle of six songs for acapella chorus which she composed during the last year of her life. This unaccompanied sequence offers an attractive counterpoint to a trio of orchestrally supported choral works, all of which are thrillingly performed and stunningly captured by the Chandos engineers.

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"Walpurgis Night ... The young Mendelssohn - just 23 when he completed the initial version of the work - responded well to the essential lightness of the story, and the music is delightful ... This splendid recording is promoted by Carus ... Like many of their recordings, this one is directed by Frieder Bernius, who draws beautiful playing and singing from his various ensembles ... A superb performance of a light-weight but enjoyable piece ... 'Oedipus in Kolon' is more problematic ... Beautifully sung by the fine young men's voices of Kammerchor Stuttgart; but with the best will in the world, this is not very riveting to listen to. No solos, no moments of true drama ... Still, the main item on this disc is Die erste Walpugisnacht, and the performance of that is well worth hearing".

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"This well-filled disc includes some of the finest choral works by three Romantic-era composers which are often rather underrated especially the Schumann piece which is almost unknown. Nagano conducts a forceful reading of "Die Erste Walpurgisnacht" ... "Nänie" is also quite ravishingly done ... A real winner apart from the rather staid front cover photo".

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"Temple really has the measure of this highoctane music, his approach confident yet persuasive, refined yet incisive. The chorus convey perfectly the textual inflections, with authentic German diction. Ashley Riches's characterisation is faultless. The London Mozart Players are superb ... This new recording is surely the new benchmark".

"It sings with a beauty of tone and a musical energy that are a great tribute all round. So it is a pity that the recording lets it down in Mendelssohn's piece".