Bach & Honegger

J.S. Bach, Magnificat
A. Honegger, Symphonie no. 3 "Liturgique"

Orchestra Sinfonica RAI Roma/Karajan
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano)
Esther Orell (mezzosoprano)
Oralia Dominguez (contralto)
Nicolai Gedda (tenor)
Giorgio Tadeo (bass)

Dynamic CDS703 [Rome, 1954]

An interesting historical CD, worth hearing for the Honegger Symphony "Liturgique" which, like Britten's great Sinfonia da Requiem, is not often heard any longer.

Honegger's three movements each refer to the Requiem Mass (Dies irae, De profundis clamavi and Dona eis pacem). The composer " - - wished to symbolise the reaction of modern man against the wave of barbarity, stupidity, suffering, mechanical life and bureaucracy which assails us..." It gets a powerful performance and the sound quality is "good enough" for me.

Karajan's Bach is a curiosity.

Peter Grahame Woolf