Cornelius Choral Works
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: (Carl August) Peter Cornelius
Label: Capella
Magazine Review Date: 4/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 49
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CTH2033
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (3) Chorgesänge |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| (3) Psalmlieder |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| Liebe: ein Zyklus von Drei Chorliedern |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| Trost in Tränen |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| Requiem, 'Seele, vergiss sie nicht' |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| Requiem aeternam |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| Absolve Domine |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| (Die) Vätergruft |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
| So weich und warm |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Jörg Straube, Conductor North German Figural Choir |
Composer or Director: (Carl August) Peter Cornelius
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 4/1990
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMC40 5206
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Requiem, 'Seele, vergiss sie nicht' |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Michel Piquemal, Conductor South West France Regional Choir |
| Stabat mater |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Danielle Borst, Soprano Frédéric Vassar, Bass-baritone Jacqueline Mayeur, Contralto (Female alto) Jean-Luc Viala, Tenor Michel Piquemal, Conductor South West France Regional Choir South West France Regional Orchestra |
Composer or Director: (Carl August) Peter Cornelius
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Magazine Review Date: 4/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 53
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: HMC90 5206
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Requiem, 'Seele, vergiss sie nicht' |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Michel Piquemal, Conductor South West France Regional Choir |
| Stabat mater |
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer
(Carl August) Peter Cornelius, Composer Danielle Borst, Soprano Frédéric Vassar, Bass-baritone Jacqueline Mayeur, Contralto (Female alto) Jean-Luc Viala, Tenor Michel Piquemal, Conductor South West France Regional Choir South West France Regional Orchestra |
Author: John Warrack
Peter Cornelius is overdue for a reappraisal, especially in England. Though the scores of his operas Gunlod and Der Cid do not suggest revival is likely, the occasional production of Der Barber von Bagdad reveals a work of great charm and intelligence, a piece virtually unique in understanding what Berlioz had to offer German comic opera. (Berlioz was very touched by the care Cornelius put into the translation of Benvenuto Cellini and L'enfance du Christ, as his warm, respectful letters show.) Even more occasional performances of the songs reveal a touching and tender quality that can, admittedly, deteriorate into the sentimental but that can also be very fresh and engaging.
His Stabat mater is a fine work that could well find a home in the choral repertory, and more than deserves its revival on this recording. In it many of Cornelius's gifts come together—his lyrical charm, his gift for chromatic harmony, his vivid response to pious texts, his fine ear for choral textures. The influences are those to be found in much of his music, and include the Brahms of the Deutsches Requiem, the Liszt of Christus (and even of some of the later, more exploratory works) and, surprisingly, the Verdi of the Requiem. There is much less Wagner than might be expected from this gentle, likeable man who sat at the Meister's feet but managed to avoid being trampled under them. The result is not so muddled as might appear. Cornelius has individual ideas, and controls them well; and his d vision of the poem's 20 verses into ten sections works well dramatically.
At the centre is No. 6, a grave, beautiful a capella setting of the ''Sancta Maria'', and around it, Cornelius is skilful in finding contrasting ideas for his paired verses. The ''Pro peccatis'' is set as a choral fugue, tense and agitated, and ending with a broken, despairing version of the subject at the Saviour's death. ''Quis est homo'' has a cello obbligato weaving tenderly around soprano and bass soloists, and ''Eja, mater'' produces a fine passionate soprano solo. This is well sung by Danielle Borst, though neither soloists nor chorus are in general outstanding, and are indeed somewhat overtaxed in places, while the recording is rather murky of texture. Never mind: Michel Piquemal's enthusiastic and sympathetic conducting does well for a work more than meriting his care.
Piquemal is rather less successful with the Requiem based on Hebbel'sSeele, vergiss sie nicht than Straube is with the German choir, who take it more easily and thus much more effectively. This is an odd work for Cornelius to have set, but presumably his deep affection and admiration for Hebbel led him to accept such a strongly agnostic text in the poet's memory. It is remarkable not only for the beautifully sensitive choral writing, but for a skilful use of chromatic harmony to lend key words an acute tinge of meaning and then turn in a new expressive direction. The remainder of Straube's record consists of a good selection of Cornelius's shorter choral pieces, among them the ingenious Psalm Songs which he wrote using the music of three Bach keyboard pieces as his material. He rather enjoyed this kind of exercise (there is a work, not on this record, using the slow movement of Beethoven's Op. 132 String Quartet). The selection includes the fine setting of Goethe's Trost in Tranen and the version of Uhland's Die Vatergruft which he wrote in the last year of his life, 1874. Despite the cheese-paring lack of texts and translations, it is a good introduction to this amiable, intelligent composer, but the French record, in the Stabat mater, includes something not far short of a masterpiece.'
His Stabat mater is a fine work that could well find a home in the choral repertory, and more than deserves its revival on this recording. In it many of Cornelius's gifts come together—his lyrical charm, his gift for chromatic harmony, his vivid response to pious texts, his fine ear for choral textures. The influences are those to be found in much of his music, and include the Brahms of the Deutsches Requiem, the Liszt of Christus (and even of some of the later, more exploratory works) and, surprisingly, the Verdi of the Requiem. There is much less Wagner than might be expected from this gentle, likeable man who sat at the Meister's feet but managed to avoid being trampled under them. The result is not so muddled as might appear. Cornelius has individual ideas, and controls them well; and his d vision of the poem's 20 verses into ten sections works well dramatically.
At the centre is No. 6, a grave, beautiful a capella setting of the ''Sancta Maria'', and around it, Cornelius is skilful in finding contrasting ideas for his paired verses. The ''Pro peccatis'' is set as a choral fugue, tense and agitated, and ending with a broken, despairing version of the subject at the Saviour's death. ''Quis est homo'' has a cello obbligato weaving tenderly around soprano and bass soloists, and ''Eja, mater'' produces a fine passionate soprano solo. This is well sung by Danielle Borst, though neither soloists nor chorus are in general outstanding, and are indeed somewhat overtaxed in places, while the recording is rather murky of texture. Never mind: Michel Piquemal's enthusiastic and sympathetic conducting does well for a work more than meriting his care.
Piquemal is rather less successful with the Requiem based on Hebbel's
Cornelius Choral Works
Cornelius Choral Works
Cornelius Choral Works
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