May 10, 2019

  • Choral Music by Petr Eben

    In Heaven: Choral Music of Petr Eben
    Jitro Czech Girls Choir/Jiri Skopal;
    Frantisek Vanicek, organ.
    Barbora Novotna, soloist, Michal Chrobak, piano.
    Navona Records 6228
    Total Time:  56:28
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    A collection of choral music from the 1960s and 1970s gives listeners a chance to explore the music of celebrated Czech composer Petr Eben (1929-2007).  He may be perhaps more known by those who follow developments in organ music as the composer was a noted improvisational organist.  Many of these performances were eventually notated and there are several recorded collections of his organ music.  Eben was raised Catholic and some of this spiritual and theological connection appears in his Liturgical Chants (1960), the Four Choruses on Latin Texts (1973), and the Cantonis Moralia (1974-75) recorded here.  Two additional works explore more secular themes.

    The album opens with a 1995 recording of the Liturgical Chants.  The music has a more traditional harmonic support as the choir sings the primary chant idea in unison.  The setting follows the flow of a mass with an Introit, Graduale, sung Gospel text, Offertory, and communion with Psalm 29 being an additional text blended into the work.  The general sound hints at church modes but arrival points are more traditional harmonically.  Text setting tends to be mostly syllabic with occasional melismas.  The Four Choruses begin to introduce more close harmony with a nod to Medieval choral writing inspired by the ancient texts set here.  This lends the music a somewhat open sound where the resulting dissonance is often stunning.  Eben’s exploration of ancient texts also connects to early music in the Cantonis Moralia.  Here, he blends 3rd Century texts and polyphony with the concept of a Baroque dance suite.  The six movement work opens with a prelude and then takes us through standard dance forms of the period mirroring Bach.  It is quite fascinating to hear how Eben works these period rhythms and forms to connect with his text.  Bach is also very much a part of the concluding About Swallows and Girls as his Art of the Fugue hovers in the background of these arrangements of various regional Czech folk music.  For contrast, we are treated to Ten Poetic Duets (1965) which is based on the poetry of Vitezslav Nezval and addresses themes of childhood and aging with colorful imagery inspiring the music.  This is some of the more chromatic, and intricate work presented on the album with a slight modern harmonic approach from time to time.

    This is an important release for those who follow choral music and for bringing Eben’s music to a wider public.  Apart from the opening work, the recordings here date from 2006-7.  Texts for the pieces are also included.