Sublime Music from Poulenc and Tenebrae
Last fall, as I was preparing for my Christmas Concert with the Rundfunkchor Berlin, I went looking for a good recording of Poulenc’s exquisite choral cycle Un Soir de Neige. They were the only French pieces I had programmed, and I wanted to make sure I had my pronunciations right.
In no way was I prepared for the sounds on this recording, some of the most pristine and luscious singing I’ve heard in a long, long time. Maestro Nigel Short and Tenebrae bring this enigmatic music to life, finding the perfect balance of distance and intimacy that is the hallmark of Poulenc’s works. Since the concert I must have listened to the entire album a dozen times, each time finding subtleties I had missed before. My highest recommendation for this disc.