Felix Mendelssohn - Choral Works - Hora Est-Te Deum-Ave Maria

Holiday Playlist... :)

Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewish family, although initially he was raised without religion and was later baptised as a Reformed Christian.

In this recording...
1. Hora est, for 16 voices & organ in G minor/A major
2. Te Deum for soloists, chorus & organ in A major (Morning Service)
3. Ave Maria, sacred piece for soloists, chorus & continuo in A major, Op. 23/2

Of all the nearly forgotten music by Mendelssohn, the most nearly completely forgotten is his music for chorus. Only his songs come close to being as almost entirely ignored, but because a few of them have earned a place in the recital hall, even they have a more prominent place in the repertoire. This 10-disc Brilliant set of Mendelssohn's complete choral works featuring the Chamber Choir of Europe under Nicol Matt addresses this problem even though it may not solve it. The performances are uniformly excellent. The Choir has a smooth tone and superb diction and Matt elicits from them polished balanced and ardent interpretations. Despite the dearth of comparisons, these performances with their clean textures, light tempos, and devout tone are surely as close to definitive as is possible to imagine. For some listeners, of course, this may not be enough to redeem Mendelssohn's heartfelt yet stolid music from obscurity. For others with more open minds, however, this set may serve to introduce a body of sacred works that certainly exceeds any other similar body of works from the same period in terms of skill and sincerity. Though a bit recessed, Brilliant's digital sound is cool and clear.