Gabriella Gullin is
a new name to me but we are told that
she is a talented young Swedish composer.
Gullin has displayed her versatility
with an varied output of works for choir,
chamber music, music for orchestra,
organ music as well as songs. The booklet
notes to this double set explain that,
‘her personal and colourful approach,
and ability to integrate both emotion
and intellect in her creations, has
generated many commissioned works.’
Gullin clearly has a special liking
for the voice and as a mezzo-soprano
herself she has undoubtedly a deep knowledge
of choral singing.
This recently written
Requiem was premiered on March
24, 2002 in Stockholm and this Nosag
release is the world premiere recording.
The record company claims that the Requiem
is a, ‘dynamic, beautiful, power-filled,
meditative and extremely well-composed
work that links splendidly to the rich
tradition of great sacred pieces through
music history’.
The Requiem per
il uomo innocente is scored for
baritone, mixed choir, percussion and
church organ. It is divided into twelve
movements of lengths that vary considerably.
The opening Requiem et Kyrie
has the baritone soloist prominent throughout
and sets the scene with an intense emotional
tone and often ghostly effects. A
wordless Introitus for organ
and percussion follows. The Introitus,
with one forte passage, provides
a mainly restful interlude if situated
at what seems a rather premature position
in the work. An extremely substantial
third movement Dies Irae at over
twenty-seven minutes, the longest of
all the movements, dominates the score.
Substantial demands are made on both
the baritone soloist and the choir.
This is a varied movement overflowing
with melody and invention. The use of
the organ and percussion at several
points conveys extra colour and adds
to the attractions of the movement.
The first CD concludes with a Domine
Jesu Christe - an expressive and
moody movement which makes considerable
demands on the Sancta Clara Motet Choir,
with just a short passage for the solo
organ in the central section. The baritone
soloist enters with organ accompaniment
shortly before the end.
A Sanctus opens
the second CD and places the baritone
further back in the proceedings. Increasingly
unusual effects from the organ and percussion
convey a ghostly sensation. In the Benedictus
we experience a return to relative calm
with the choir taking centre-stage and
only sparing use of the organ. The choir
in the brief Pie Jesu provides
an atmosphere of near serenity. In the
Agnus Dei the choir and organ
maintain the relaxed mood. The restoration
of the baritone to the male voices of
the choir in the Lux Aeterna heralds
an undercurrent of restlessness and
this builds up to increase the tension
and despair. In the Libera Me the
uneasiness conveyed in the baritone
and organ parts maintains the strained
and uncertain atmosphere. The penultimate
movement is a peaceful and gentle rocking
Intermezzo for solo organ. A
lengthy final movement In Paradisum
opens with a rather solemn baritone
solo and the entry of the choir and
organ only serves to maintain the sombre
mood. Midway through the movement the
introduction of percussion provides
a welcome revitalisation and significantly
adds an increased spectrum of colour
to the score. The movement closes on
an uncertain note with a deep sense
of sorrow.
Although the Requiem
per il uomo innocente is a most
imaginative, often exhilarating and
deeply-felt composition I am unsure
if the content is of a sufficiently
consistent quality to sustain the interest
throughout the duration of one hour
and forty three minutes. However the
score from the talented Gabriella Gullin
contains much to admire and deserves
to be heard; especially in a performance
as fine as this. Baritone Jesper Taube
gives an imposing performance in his
challenging role with a pious authority
that adds appropriately to the liturgical
nature of the score. The Sancta Clara
Motet Choir under the direction of Michael
Waldenby are in consistently fine voice
in Gullin’s often difficult vocal arrangements.
The organist Per Thunarf, who I assume
plays the organ of the Sancta Clara
Church, Stockholm, is on top form, as
is percussionist Markus Leoson meeting
the score’s wide-ranging demands.
The Nosag engineers
are to be complimented for a sound quality
that I very much enjoyed. The booklet
notes are rather sparse and generally
uninteresting with full Latin texts
that unfortunately do not contain English
translations. A rather unusual work,
imaginatively scored and extremely accessible.
Fine performances too.
Michael Cookson
Jesper Taube, (baritone)
