Baltic Exchange is an apt title for a selection of choral
works by four Baltic composers sung by a British choir and recorded
by a British label. I must straightaway admit that all but one
of these composers are completely new to me.
As can be seen in the above details, Latvian-born Prauliņš
has the lion’s share in this generous cross-section. His
large-scale and substantial Missa Rigensis composed
for the Riga Dom Boys’ Choir has pride of place and launches
proceedings in the grandest possible manner. This is a setting
of the so-called ordinary mass albeit capped by a Post-Communion.
The music presents a remarkably successful synthesis of age-old
choral tradition as represented by the big polyphonic masses
composed in Italy and of some more modern rhythmic and formal
devices. The Kyrie has a timeless character that strongly contrasts
with the burst of energy at the opening of the ensuing Gloria
which, with the Credo, is by far the most developed movement.
As might be expected the music is full of often striking contrasts
and often hovers between moments of peaceful meditation and
other of exultation. The final Agnus Dei is capped by a Post-Communion
“where long-breathed vocalise underpins an ad lib
spoken prayer”. This is simple but quite effective. The
Mass ends in utter peacefulness. There is much nicely judged
choral writing that helps create a vast choral fresco of great
expressive strength. Specially written for this recording and
dedicated to Stephen Layton, Prauliņš’ Laudibus
in sanctis is a short cantata setting words adapted
after Psalm 150. This is a celebratory work opening with a great
choral outburst. Afterwards, as the music progresses, the voices
suggest the instruments mentioned in the words of Psalm 150
(warlike trumpet, Pierian lyre, resounding timbrels, lofty organs
and the like) always with refined musical means and without
ever sounding bluntly descriptive.
Maija Einfeld’s Cikls ar Friča Bārdas
dzeju (“A cycle of Fricis Bārda poems”)
is the only profane work in this selection of Baltic choral
music. Three beautiful settings of short poems of romantic and
naturalistic character. The words are quite beautiful, at least
judging from the translations. The music is somewhat more stringent
in these settings than in any other work recorded here. It is
also mildly dissonant but effective in its forthrightness, painting
musical landscapes in “grey, green, brown and the colour
of the sun” (Gabriel Jackson). This short cycle is one
of the little gems here.
The other is Sisask’s Benedictio, a simple
setting of the ordinary Post-Communion blessing in an almost
ritualistic manner with repetition of rhythmic gestures underpinning
some brief flights of song. This inventive and attractive short
work is (to quote Gabriel Jackson again) “a vividly re-imagining
of primordial runic song”.
The fourth composer represented here is Lithuanian-born Vytautas
Miškinis whose Angelis suis Deus was written
as a fortieth birthday present for Stephen Layton. This is another
nicely imagined miniature, fairly simple and straightforward.
His Pater Noster, too, is a quite inventive piece
of music in which repetition plays a great part. Female voices
intone a repeated phrase in pulsing chords to the words “Pater
noster, qui es in coelis”. Male voices enter unsynchronised
adding still more urgency to the prayer of the female voices.
All voices then repeat the introduction with mounting intensity
until reaching a climax abruptly cut short. The opening pattern
is now resumed but to the words “sed libera nos a malo”
and a lone soprano eventually voices repeated Amens.
Stephen Layton conducts vital and immaculate performances. These
works must be quite taxing and they’re not always as simple
or as straightforward as they may sound. The singing is a pure
joy from first to last. The recording lends an appropriately
reverberant aura to the music. This splendid release perfectly
complements Hyperion’s disc devoted to Dubra’s choral
music, enthusiastically reviewed here a few months ago (“Hail,
Queen of Heaven” - CDA67790). This disc will appeal strongly
to all lovers of imaginative choral music, but others - I am
sure - will find much to relish.
Hubert Culot
The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge/Stephen Layton 
