CHRISTINE BREWER, SOPRANO, DONALD RUNNICLES, CONDUCTOR, ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; Gorecki: Symphony No. 3, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" (Telarc) ★★★★
ELENA VASSILIEVA, MEZZO-SOPRANO, THE HILLIARD ENSEMBLE, DENNIS RUSSELL DAVIES, CONDUCTOR, DRESDNER PHILHARMONIE; Schnittke, Symphony No. 9; Raskatov, "Nunc dimittis" (ECM) ★★★★
Henryk Gorecki always takes his listeners on an emotional journey.
There is nothing trivial in his music; he expresses intense feelings with heart-rending sincerity. It comes from the soul, and Gorecki bares it all.
This is certainly true with his Symphony No. 3. A setting of poems dealing with the death of children, the three-movement work is subtitled "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs." And it is indeed a powerfully gripping, unforgiving work that burns into the listener's brain. The three movements are evocative, moving, spiritual and unforgettable.
The most poignant is the second movement setting of a poem about a girl who is held by the Gestapo during World War II. It is incredibly touching in the way in which the girl addresses her mother and tells her not to be sad.
Or is she perhaps speaking to the mother of God? That ambiguity casts a wondrous spirituality over the setting.
Conductor David Runnicles gives a perceptive reading that is sensitive and honest. His account is wonderfully nuanced, and he elicits gorgeously lyrical playing from the Atlanta Symphony.
Soprano Christine Brewer is absolutely mesmerizing. Her rich voice lends a warmth to the work and brings out its delicately crafted expressiveness. Together with Runnicles, they bring depth and insight to the music.
One of the great late 20th century Russian composers, Alfred Schnittke is nevertheless barely known in the United States. Schnittke certainly deserves better exposure in this country, if for no other reason than for the penetrating psychological insight that is found in many of his works.
The Symphony No. 9 was Schnittke's final work, left unorchestrated at the time of his death in 1998. It was orchestrated by fellow Russian composer Alexander Raskatov a few years ago. And for the first performance of the symphony in 2007, Raskatov wrote "Nunc dimittis," which he felt would complement and complete it.
The symphony is an intense work, expressionistic in character. It is dissonant, stark, harsh and uncompromising, yet wonderfully expressive and poignant.
And Raskatov's piece fits into the scheme of the symphony quite well. A setting of two poems, "Nunc dimittis" is driven by its intensity and bold expressiveness that mirrors the symphony's drama and passion.
Conductor Dennis Russell Davies leads the Dresden Philharmonic in a powerful reading of these two pieces that draws out the nuances and colors of the scores dynamically. And mezzo-soprano Elena Vassilieva and the Hilliard Ensemble give a tour de force performance of the "Nunc dimittis" that is stunning for its boldness and for its depth of expression.
e-mail: ereichel@desnews.com