The sense of déjà vu (or, more appropriately, déjà entendu) that often crops up when listening to Mendelssohn’s smaller-scale choral works is largely avoided here by Helmuth Rilling’s sprightly tempi and lightly buoyant touch. Where one would normally be thinking of trial-runs for the “Baal” choruses in Psalm 42, the busy violins of “Denn ich wollte” scamper around so happily (under a beautifully mellifluous Sibylla Rubens) that associations with their serious-minded Elias counterparts seem remote, while “Was betrübst du dich” has such crisp choral singing and such graceful orchestral playing that it takes on a character all of its own. As well it might, for these psalm texts are all about profound contentment in a sure faith. No anguished prophets here; no calling on false gods; no putting deities (false or otherwise) to the test. These are words of great confidence and, in places, joy, and Mendelssohn’s sure-footed reaction finds highly sympathetic champions in these Stuttgart musicians.

Psalm 114 (“When Israel came out of Egypt”) clearly had a deep personal resonance for Mendelssohn and he brought to it some of his most inspired choral writing, full of vivid word-painting which these performers have no shame in exhibiting to the full. A florid bassoon sets the sea fleeing, there is a vast swelling motion as it finally disappears over the horizon to give way to the mountains skipping “like rams”, the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart’s rich, full-bodied tone making the minimalist orchestral accompaniment (a single cello line) all the more effective, and with the earth’s trembling “at the presence of the Lord”, the cumulative effect is truly impressive.

Given such perceptive and vital performances, Mendelssohn’s psalm-settings are revealed to be works of considerable distinction. All is captured in a nicely balanced recording, a pleasing halo of resonance adding just the right touch of depth and making this, all in all, a most enjoyable disc.