Felix Mendelssohn Three Psalm Motets, Op. 78; Three Motets, Op. 69; Deutsche Liturgie – excerpts etc MDR Leipzig Radio Choir/Philipp Ahmann Pentatone PTC 5187 064 (CD/SACD) 67:36 mins
Mendelssohn’s contribution to choral music is substantial, but much of his church music is unfamiliar: there’s even a world-premiere recording here of the eight-part Heilig – a real gem. Some of these pieces – the Three Motets, Op. 69, for instance – were written for the Anglican tradition, with organ, and originally set English texts, though they’re sung here in German, a cappella; the much-travelled composer also wrote pieces in Latin for Catholic nuns in Rome. Together with his family background in Judaism – he entered the Protestant faith at the age of seven – and his deep knowledge of church music from different periods and traditions, there’s a sense of synthesis to the result.
Not every piece is memorable, yet everything Mendelssohn wrote was expertly crafted, and the performances are nicely shaped and delivered with clean, full-bodied tone and attractive solo voices for the standouts. Except for some dodgy intonation in the third of the Three Motets, the singing is impressive, and all recorded in an apt acoustic. Highlights include a troubled setting of Psalm 2, the stern Psalm 43 and the blend of individual and collective grief in Psalm 22 (all from Op. 78), as well as various sections from the Deutsche Liturgie, notably the sheerly beautiful Kyrie, the highly effective Gloria and the simple but moving ‘Zum Abendsegen’. The Three Motets are finely achieved compositions, and it’s good to hear ‘Hebe deine Augen auf’, which found its way into Elijah as ‘Lift thine eyes’.
George Hall