JULIUS ROENTGEN (1855-1932): Aus Goethes Faust for Orchestra, Organ, Chorus and Soloists.

Description: Roentgen wrote this hour-long piece for the centenary of the publication of Goethe's Faust in 1931. It is lightly handled throughout - even the storm of the Walpurgisnacht is more water-color than oil - since Roentgen draws on a good deal of old songs to help create the late-medieval atmosphere of the original setting (including Hans Leo Hassler's O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden). The precision and concision of both the vocal and choral writing remind us that the composer was thought of as second-to-none in these matters. Occasional echoes of Mahler's Wunderhorn lieder add to the period effect and a few of Brahms' German Requiem are actually due to Roentgen having recently treated it in a music analysis course! German-English texts. Machteld Baumans (soprano), Marcel Beekman, André Post (tenors), André Morsch, Mark Richardson (baritones), Dennis Wilgenhof (bass), National Reisopera Enschede Chorus, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra; David Porcelijn.