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Immortal Nystedt - Ensemble96

Immortal Nystedt - Ensemble96

2L  2L-029-SACD

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Vocal


Nystedt: Surrounded by the Wonders of Creation

Ensemble96
Øystein Fevang (conductor)


mmortal NYSTEDT [1915 – ] – Surrounded by the Wonders of CreationEnsemble 96 cond. Øystein Fevang The beginning of the universe and the drama at Golgatha; medieval music and German baroque; the writings of Søren Kierkegaard – and a child’s baptism in Oslo in 1987. Knut Nystedt draws his inspiration from all ages, creating his monumental choral art with a Christian perspective and wide, humanistic appeal.

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Reviews (1)
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Review by John Broggio - March 10, 2007

This is a compilation of Knut Nystedt's more recent choral works which were composed between 1988 and 2003 - all are for mixed choir except where otherwise noted.

For those that are unfamiliar with Nystedt; work, this is an ideal starting point for someone to sample modern choral music that combines the elegance and beauty of Bach and Palestrina with some more modern techniques and textures - it is not in the least "frightening". The disc opens with Prayers of Kierkegaard - 6 short settings of Kierkegaard's musings on Biblical texts. Somewhat incredibly the settings, commissioned by The Norwegian Soloists' Choir in 1999, are in (very good) English. The clarity of the performance and recording means that the inclusion of the texts are unnecessary - it is not often one can claim this but it should be!

Next up is Salve Regina, a short piece for male choir, again composed in 1999. Based on a medieval antiphon, the piece is sung in Latin and again the diction is superb from Ensemble 96 under Øystein Fevang. Returning to English, The Word Became Flesh was composed in 2001 for an American commission; here the choir is subdivided between 8 and 13 parts in the style of the old Renaissance masters.

"Nytt er livet" dates from 2003 and is performed by the commissioners, the Bærum Vokalensemble, a female choir singing texts written for the Millennium in 4 short movements. The more substantial “Jesu sieben Worte” also dates from 2003 and is also performed by those who commissioned the work; it is heartening for such a young ensemble to be so committed to commissioning, performing and recording modern music that is also accessible to more than dedicated followers of the avant garde.

Closing the disc is the exceptional Immortal Bach from 1988 – even if Nystedt is remembered only for this work, the world shall be grateful. The transfiguring of Bach’s choral “Komm, süsser Tod” provides for the most extraordinary sounds in a most hypnotic way – strongly recommended and hard not to repeat almost incessantly to capture the many delicacies within this incredible but short work (just shy of 4 minutes). This is the one piece that was designed for a performance “in the round” and 2L give us this which opens up the piece to far greater enjoyment than would be possible in stereo.

The performances of all works are exceptional in their refined tone and quality of phrasing that leads the ear not just within each piece but also between the works. It is a disc that provides balm to the soul. The voices are recorded in a church but the sound is not the stony resonance that many will expect – not that it is dry but I suspect that the microphones were placed a good deal closer than would usually be the case in choral music. Because of this, the diction is exceptionally clear and the presence is miraculous. Some here might baulk at the recording originating from a 24bit 48kHz source but there are no qualms in this listeners ears about sound hindering the quality of the musicianship on display.

Highly recommended.

Copyright © 2007 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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Comment by threerandot - July 7, 2016 (1 of 3)

Review by threerandot April 20, 2007
Performance: 5
Sonics: 5 (MCH)

Once in a great while a recording comes along that raises the bar. Immortal Nystedt is one such recording and its not hard to see just why this collection of choral music was nominated for two Grammys; one for "Best Surround Sound Album" and one for "Best Choral Performance".

Knut Nystedt was a name that I had never heard of before. I was introduced to him by hearing this disc. All of the compositions on this disc are performed by voices alone, are colorful, bold, adventurous and vividly recorded. Nystedt is a Norwegian composer who specializes in choral music and has had over seven decades of experience in connection with choral music, beginning as a treble singer when just a boy.

The works in this collection feature, rich, deep, colorful harmonies and music that is filled with awe and wonderment. Nystedt mostly writes for the voices in groups with few solos throughout. The tonal pallete he uses favors uniformity and homogenity more than individuality. The emotions are raw, daring and adventurous. These pieces are inspiring in their richness and devotional quality and the recording presents them evenly balanced from top to bottom. The music, at turns is meditative, mysterious, complex and filled with contrasts of color, sound and dynamics. For me the highlights of this collection are the "Prayers of Kierkegaard" and "Immortal Bach"

"Prayers of Kierkegaard" features yearning vocal harmonies, reaching for answers to the mysteries of God. It is not a piece which utilizes traditional words and texts from the bible, but attempts to communicate with God on a purely human level and I think this is the aspect of this work that appeals to me. It expresses the great divide between Man and God. The great imponderable.

"Immortal Bach" is a reworking of J. S. Bach's Komm, susser Tod and is a fascinating piece not only technically, but in the surround effect it creates around the listener. You will need to sit in the "sweet spot" for the fullest effect of this piece. The album notes describe the effect this way:

"The first three lines of the song are sung, and then repeated – this time the parts are moved in time in relation to one another, coming together in a consonant major chord at the end of each line. The spatial element is an important part of the composer’s reworking: the choir is divided into five equal groups spread around the concert hall or church. The surround technology of the Super Audio CD format reproduces the three-dimensional effect as envisaged by the composer."

"The Seven Words of Christ" uses biblical texts describing the time Christ spent on the cross and his death, filled with more of Nystedt's impressive polyphony.

"The Word Became Flesh", Nytt er livet ("New Is The Life") and Salve Regina ("Hail Holy Queen") are also beautiful works, but the above ones stand out for me.

The audio on this is very impressive. There is plenty of depth with the voices close to us in a large acoustic. What is most impressive is that the words are not difficult to make out, especially if you have the texts close at hand. Voices are never "lost" in the mix. Male and Female voices are eay to distinguish and the Baerum Vokalensemble and Ensemble '96 never have any difficulty in performing these harmically complex and challenging vocal pieces.

I appreciate the large sonic picture on this disc with it's big sound and wide dynamic range which is well focused. There is a distinct decay at the end of some passages which shows just how large the Uranienburg Church really is, which is one of the main locations for many of these 2L recordings. I wish the sound could be a little smoother at times, but having said that, it is remarkable to me that this is a PCM recording and this is really a quibble when there is so much to absorb in these performances. A truly inspired effort. Although I have not heard the other recordings that were nominated at the Grammys alongside this disc, I think it would be very hard to beat this collection as a Choral performance and recording. Highly recommended.

(This review refers to the MCH portion of this disc.)

Comment by William Hecht - July 17, 2016 (2 of 3)

I must admit to some initial frustration at the many recent "comments" posted that are cut and paste reviews from the old site, most of them quite old. But over the past couple of days my attitude has been transformed as I've been reminded of discs that haven't made it into my player for several years, leading me to enjoy them once again. This recording of some of Nystedt's best choral music is a great example. Wonderful music, superb performances, and enveloping recording in 2L's best manner. So thanks for the reminder.

Comment by hiredfox - July 25, 2016 (3 of 3)

One wonders why these old reviews cannot be entered into the Reviews section? If this chap threerandot has the interest and dedication to trawl the old sa-cd.net site to bring all the old reviews forward onto HRAudio.net then more strength to him and the editors should give him every help and encouragement to do the job properly, after all it is a boon for every user.