Engelsmusik, Hirtenweisen und bittersüße Gaben aus Westminster Abbey

By Michael Vieth, 17 December 2020

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“lyrische wie mystische Sphären”

Reviewed at Westminster Abbey, London on 15 December 2020

Rutter, What Sweeter Music

Sheppard, Verbum Caro

Gauntlett, Once in Royal David's City

Gruber, Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

Poulenc, Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël, FP 152: O magnum mysterium

Young, Stars in Heaven

McDowall, Before the paling of the stars

Britten, A Ceremony of Carols, Op.28

Choir of Westminster Abbey

Peter Holder, Organ

James O'Donnell, Director

Sally Pryce, Harp

A French Connection: Poulenc and Fauré from the LPO

Dominic Lowe, 18th January

Bertrand de Billy made his debut with the LPO in an all-French programme headlined by Fauré's Requiem and preceded by a rewarding pairing of Poulenc's Organ Concerto and Sept Repons des Tenebres

****1

An eclectic jamboree under Thomas Søndergård

David Truslove, 21st July

The celebratory, cerebral and contradictory elements inherent in this diverse programme of Haydn, Mozart, Poulenc and Stravinsky didn’t quite disguise some uneven performances in Søndergård’s third prom concert.

***11

Bruckner: the long and short of it

Ken Ward, 28th February

Segerstam elicits oustanding playing from the BBCSO in an immense Bruckner 8, preceded by the BBC Singers exquisite Bruckner motets.

*****

Serious Christmas fare at Cadogan Hall

Jack Johnson, 11th December

The choir tackle an ambitious, if overly long programme of Advent-themed works with mixed results.

***11

Pulling out the stops in Poulenc and Saint-Saëns

Mark Pullinger, 26th March

Yannick Nézet-Séguin explores the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s palette in an intoxicating French programme, celebrating the restoration of the Royal Festival Hall’s organ.

****1

Aurora unlocks new worlds of pure sonic ecstasy at Kings Place

Marat Ingeldeev, 25th November

A “Sound Unwrapped” programme, featuring Aurora Orchestra's trimmed line-up of five musicians and one sound engineer on electronics, proves to be an absolute success.

*****

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Michael Vieth

Michael Vieth ist Physiker und hat viele Jahre in der Zentralen Forschung der Siemens AG in Erlangen und München an magnetischen Speichern und Sensoren gearbeitet. Auch von klassischer Musik magnetisiert, singt er seit seinem Studium in Göttingen in großen Kantoreien und Chorprojekten; eine besondere Vorliebe hat sich zu Motetten der Renaissance und der Moderne entwickelt. Daneben faszinieren ihn Auftritte und Programme kleiner Vokal-Ensembles.