“If you're a choral music fan...you owe it to yourself to find this now”
Classics Today
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger was one of nineteenth-century Germany’s most gifted teachers and composers. Rheinberger wrote works reminiscent of those of Brahms and Schumann, and yet their attractive lyricism is unique. This tribute to the works of Rheinberger includes his eight-part a cappella Mass in E-flat Major, Mass in F for Male Choir, and Mass in G Minor for Female Choir, as well as three of his motets.
Premiere and Only Works
| Track 11-16 | Mass in G minor for female voices |
Critical Acclaim
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“If you're a choral music fan ... you owe it to yourself to find this now. One reason is for the excellent performances by Gloriæ Dei Cantores, whose full-bodied yet carefully balanced ensemble sound is perfect for these romantic works. Another is for the repertoire, most of which isn't available elsewhere ... Finally, the music itself ... certainly worthy of repeated listening ... The male-voice mass is a gem ... and the Gloriæ Dei Cantores men take to the piece with an impressive enthusiasm and commitment. ... There are many other highlights, including the opening and closing of the female-voice mass, with those gorgeous-toned altos making their profound and irresistible beautiful statements.”
Classics Today - “I am more than ever impressed by the strength and quality of the tenors and basses in this choir. There's a creamy tone and sublime line to the tenors, while the basses take on an almost Russian quality of tone in places. The work in which to hear them at their best is obviously the Mass in F for male voices and organ, and for this performance alone I would recommend this disc. ... Sincere in memoriam ... is a strikingly beautiful work, colorful and rich-textured ... the ladies of Gloriæ Dei Cantores performed it effortlessly and with expressive color. ... This is an illuminating and revelatory disc which reflects great credit on this forty-strong choir, its organist David Chalmers, and upon the conductor Elizabeth Patterson.”
Music Web International
- “... I find the performances here totally convincing. Patterson ... lets the music speak for itself, and the result is moving ... a sound that is pleasing ... a fine performance. Translations of the Latin texts are provided, and the notes about Rheinberger and his works, by Craig Timberlake, are very helpful. This is a recording that should be welcomed by all choral directors.”
The Diapason - “This choir and the recording's producers should be applauded for bringing this ... music to our attention – and in such solid performances.”
The Choral Review - “The release by the Gloriæ Dei Cantores label contains two other Masses, Op. 187 and Op. 190, as well as three luminous Motets Op. 133 and Hymns Op. 140. They are sung seraphically by the group Gloriæ Dei Cantores.”
Crisis Magazine - “... great sensitivity and understanding in their execution of late Romantic choral phrasing. In addition, care is taken to capture each piece's true inner character. The motets ... require immaculate tuning, and they receive it here. Mass in G Minor, by far the true gem, the women's performance of the seemingly endless choral lines seems effortless, their vocal color meaty without sounding forced, perfect for the character of Rheinberger's vocal music.”
Cross Accent - "... I greatly admire the Cantores, and, as this disc examines each section of the choir, you can here appreciate the quality in depth."
"... the singing is beautifully focused with exact intonation and meticulous diction. They are recorded in a very sympathetic acoustic, the balance between the various sections of the choir being perfectly weighted.”
Fanfare
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