Lajtha: Missa in tono Phrygio "In diebus tribulationis"; Weiner: Romance Op29

On this CD:

1. Missa in tono Phrygio "In diebus tribulationis"
Composed by Laszlo Lajtha

2. Romance for cello, harp & string orchestra, Op. 29
Composed by Leo Weiner

3. Lament of Jesus (Inscription on a triptych in the Cathedral of Lübeck), for bass (voice), chorus & orchestra
Composed by Gyorgy Ranki

Customer Reviews:

During days of tribulation.......2006-07-23

I really like the music of the Hungarian composer Laszlo Lajtha (1892-1963). The colorful orchestration, beautiful, yet somber, melodies and vibrant rhythms would appeal to anybody who enjoys attractive late-Romantic music. So it seems, to me, very regrettable that Lajtha has remained virtually unknown in a day and age when recordings of little known composers are so abundant.

Lajtha's music is often folksy and cheerful, but much of his output in very dark, colored by the events of Lajtha's day. Such is the case with Lajtha's mass, subtitled "In diebus tribulatonis" (During days of tribulation), which was written in a time when the Hungarian church was under strong attack. Of course this isn't the subtitle used when the work was written in 1950, as the Communist regime would have been most displeased. The new leaders in Hungary were already suspicious of Lajtha when he returned from London around 1948. According to the CD notes, "He was harassed, shadowed regularly, even his closest friends dared to visit him seldom and only in secret."

The mass, lasting 45 minutes, is in a traditional five movement form. The writing for the chorus, for the most part, is legato with single syllables extended over several notes. The sparse, yet effective, orchestral writing creates a shadowy atmosphere. The violins often appear near the top of their register (a favorite Lajtha technique). Throughout the mass there are several haunting woodwind solos, and interesting use of the harp and pizzicato strings.

The work begins softly, with the different parts of the chorus gradually entering over a pedal tone in the low strings. The music in the opening movement often evokes a feeling of despair, but the music is quite beautiful. The mood of the credo is a bit more ambiguous, with the music sometimes sounding joyful, but a melancholy thought is never far away. The pizzicato opening to the Sanctus, Benedictus movement is affirming. However, the mood turns somber and introspective once more in the Agnus Dei. The work is capped by a quiet orchestral coda, in which the violins explore the top of their register over an extended pedal tone.

This mass strikes me an emotionally powerful work, perhaps even a masterpiece. But, for those unfamiliar with Lajtha, one of the Marco Polo releases featuring the symphonies and orchestral works (especially the "Capriccio, Suite de Ballet"), might be a better place to start in getting to know this composer, as those releases contain slightly more variety and give you more Lajtha for your money.

The Romance for cello, harp and string orchestra by Leo Weiner (1885-1960), features some virtuosic harp playing, and is both lovely and mysterious. However, the "Lament of Jesus" by Gyorgy Ranki (1907-1992), scored for male voice, mixed chorus and orchestra is tougher nut to crack. It is written in more modern, spiky, style. This work features some powerful singing by a bass voice, which seems to be three times as loud as the orchestra and five times as loud as the mixed chorus. Maybe that's the way it is supposed to be, but pieces such as this generally are not to my taste. I wished that another Lajtha piece concluded the program, instead of the Ranki composition.

It should also be known that this recording was made in front of a live audience, albeit a relatively well behaved one. But no matter how well behaved the audience is, there will always be a couple random coughs and the thud of something being dropped, and this recording is no exception. Further, the label has chosen to include applause at the end of the mass, which is something I really don't care for.

I am not familiar with the Szent Istvan Kiraly Orchestra and Chorus, but they play and sing this music reasonably well. There are a couple a shaky moments, especially with the brass, but no real complaints except there are some instances where the orchestral colorings, such as the harp, aren't as apparent as they should be. However, this may be an engineering problem instead of an orchestral problem.

The reservations mentioned above weren't enough from stopping me from enjoying the fabulous mass, and they shouldn't stop anybody from getting this CD who is interested in the music of Lajtha (until, one can hope, a new recording of this work is released).

60:00

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Maximal in the Mix, Vol. 1

Roberto Gerhard: Soirées de Barcelona (Evenings in Barcelona) - Andrew Ball / Julian Jacobson

Selections From Compositions

The Feeling of Jazz

The Music of John Williams: 40 Years of Film Music [Box set]

Pruebame

Strange Days

Some Songs

Quarteto de Cordas [Import]

Romantic Masterpieces

Second: Live at 3361 Black [Import]

Puro Cuate, Vol. 2

Secret Indictment [Explicit Lyrics]

Inspiration

Amor [Spanish Version]