Bruckner's Masses
Eugen Jochum's classic Bruckner Mass recordings gathered in a two-CD set
The Gramophone Choice
Masses Nos 1, 2 & 3
Edith Mathis, Maria Stader sops Marga Schiml, Claudia Hellmann mezs Wieslaw Ochman, Ernst Haefliger tens Karl Ridderbusch, Kim Borg basses Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra / Eugen Jochum
DG The Originals 447 409-2GOR2 (148‘ · ADD · T/t). Recorded 1963-72. Buy from Amazon
Like Bruckner, Eugen Jochum came from a devout Catholic family and began his musical life as a church organist. He would have known the Mass texts more or less inside out, which explains why his readings focus not on the sung parts – which, for the most part, present the text in a relatively foursquare fashion – but on the orchestral writing which, given the gloriously full-bodied playing of the Bavarian orchestra, so lusciously illuminates familiar words. He approaches the Masses with many of the same ideas he so eloquently propounds in his recordings of the symphonies and the music unfolds with a measured, almost relaxed pace which creates a sense of vast spaciousness. This can have its drawbacks: you can be so entranced by the beautifully moulded orchestral introduction to the Benedictus from the D minor Mass that the entry of a rather full-throated Marga Schiml comes as a rude interruption. DG’s transfers are extraordinarily good – they really seem to have produced a sound which combines the warmth of the original LP with the clarity of detail we expect from CD.
Additional Recommendations
Mass No 2*. Ave Maria. Christus factus est. Locus iste. Os justi. Pange lingua, ‘Tantum ergo’. Vexilla regis. Virga Jesse floruit
Polyphony; *Britten Sinfonia / Stephen Layton
Hyperion CDA67629 (70’ · DDD · T/t). Buy from Amazon
Hyperion long ago paid signal service to Bruckner’s mature settings of the Mass with recordings by Matthew Best’s Corydon Singers of all three (see review of the F minor below). Interestingly, their 1985 recording of the E minor Mass has also been re‑reissued on the budget Helios label, providing pretty powerful opposition to any new release, let alone one at full price. But while the Corydons were the choir par excellence on Hyperion in the 1980s and ’90s, the torch has been passed to Polyphony, whose sound is, if anything, even more smoothly rounded, more fully blended and more sumptuous. In Stephen Layton, too, they have a director who is every bit as openly communicative, and while Best reveals the soul of Bruckner’s sacred utterings more intensely, Layton (who also uses the 1882 version), produces such gorgeous sound from his singers that the overall listening experience is infinitely satisfying.
There’s no doubt that the latest Hyperion recording, made in Ely Cathedral, has more presence and atmosphere than that made over 20 years earlier in St Alban’s Church, Holborn. That certainly helps produce an ideal balance between wind ensemble and singers, the delicate woodwind flutterings of the Benedictus providing a delicious undercurrent to the broad, spacious choral lines. The rare moments of climax are nicely restrained and never impinge on the overall calmness of Bruckner’s setting.
Splendid as the performance of the Mass is, the seven unaccompanied motets which surround it on this disc are absolute gems. An ethereal account of Ave Maria has a breadth and grandeur which belies its short time-span; as the vocal lines crowd in on each other, the effect is nothing short of electrifying. And popular as it is, if there is to be a ‘definitive’ interpretation on disc of Locus iste, this has to be it. Put simply, we’re unlikely to hear choral singing as fine as this for a good few years to come.
Mass No 3. Psalm 150 in C
Juliet Booth sop Jean Rigby mez John Mark Ainsley ten Gwynne Howell bass Corydon Singers and Orchestra / Matthew Best
Hyperion Helios CDA66599 (68‘ · DDD · T/t). Buy from Amazon
The F minor Mass can certainly be regarded as being among the finest music Bruckner ever created. The intensity of religious feeling is heightened rather than diminished by the sumptuous orchestral support, and the soaring melodies and opulent harmonies are somehow purified and enriched by the devotional character of these familiar texts. Matthew Best’s performance, by understating the music’s abundant richness, gives tremendous point to the inner conviction of Bruckner’s faith. His orchestra, sounding as if it has been playing this music all its days, plays with commendable discretion, balancing admirably with a relatively small choral body. As with everything the Corydon Singers and Best turn their hands to, it’s an impeccable performance, infused with real artistry and sensitive musicianship. Enhanced by the glorious solo voices from a high-powered team, this is a CD of rare depth and conviction.
