BONIFACIO MARIA KRUG (1838-1909): La vita di Gesù from Pensieri musicali, FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886): Alleluja, S183, Pater Noster and Ave Maria from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S173.

Description: Krug was a German-born Benedictine monk (who spent some years of his early life in the U.S.) who ended up his life as arch-abbot of the famous monastery of Monte Cassino. Like the young Lorenzo Perosi, whom he met and encouraged, Krug was also an amateur composer. The notes tell us nothing about the music recorded here but what we have are six pieces lasting 39 minutes which are subtitled Nazareth, Bethlem, Genesareth, Gethsemani, Golgotha and Alleluia. Simple and melodic, often quiet but capable of rising to stirring climaxes when required, they seem to be aimed at helping to direct the mind of the audience (or, indeed, that of the performer) in its contemplation of the aforementioned Biblical passages. Silvia Vaglica (piano).