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Praise Parisienne
Martin Jean, organ
The National Lutheran Choir
David Cherwien, director
The National Lutheran Choir’s first recording on Gothic! David Cherwien directs the NLC—2007 winner of the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence– through a program of popular French choral music, joined by organist Martin Jean of Yale. The organ used in this recording is Casavant's Opus 1177 at Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, Minnesota. This organ was originally installed at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. After more than two decades in storage, the organ was rebuilt by Schantz and was completed in late 2001. It is now located in Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, Minnesota. This huge instrument has 4 manuals, 108 ranks and 7310 pipes---quite suitable for the Vierne Mass which begins the recording!
Solemn Mass (Op. 16) —Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Martin Jean, organ
1 Kyrie (5:00)
2 Gloria (6:13)
3 Sanctus (2:28)
4 Benedictus (3:48)
5 Agnus Dei (5:02)
6 Ubi caritas—Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) (2:20)
7 Seigneur, je vous en prie—Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
8 O sacrum convivium!—Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)
Four Motets (Op. 9)—Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
Martin Jean, organ
9 O salutaris hostia (3:51)
10 Ave Maria (2:40 )
11 Tantum ergo sacramentum (3:19)
12 Laudate Dominum omnes gentes (3:46)
13 O magnum mysterium—Pierre Villette (1926-1998)
14 Tu es Petrus—Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) (3:05)
David Cherwien, organ
15 Hymne à la Vierge—Villette (3:56)
16 Toccata from Symphony No. 5—Widor (5:02)
David Cherwien, organ
The award-winning National Lutheran Choir was founded in 1986 - its members being mostly from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of the United States. The ensemble presents a wide range of choral works in concert and worship settings, and broadcasts and records extensively. under the direction of David Cherwien. The choir performs literature from the entire spectrum of sacred choral music, from early chant to new compositions and from simple folk anthems to complex orchestral masterworks. This selection of popular French choral music is the NLC’s first recording for Gothic. They are joined by of the world’s leading concert organists, Martin Jean, an American who teaches organ at Yale University and who first gained worldwide recognition by winning the major competitions of Chartres and NYACOP. The organ used in this recording is Casavant’s Opus 1177 at Saint Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi, Minnesota. It was originally installed at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, but after more than two decades in storage it was rebuilt by Schantz and was completed in late 2001. This huge instrument has 4 manuals, 108 ranks and 7310 pipes - eminently suitable for the Louis Vierne Mass which begins the recording. The other works here are by Maurice Duruflé, Poulenc, Messiaen, Marcel Dupré (his wonderful Four Motets), Pierre Villette and Charles-Marie Widor (Tu es Petrus and the famous Toccata from his Fifth Symphony). These are technically brilliant and spiritually uplifting performances of sublime music by a great choir. The recording quality is excellent, with Martin Jean bringing the best from the wonderfully sonorous Casavant organ.
The 7,310 pipes of the huge Casavant organ used in Praise Parisienne immediately set the stage for what is an unusually good recording. One is struck by the masterful curiosity with which the National Lutheran Choir sings such a body of Mass texts that would surely elicit an approving wink from the Vatican itself. And when is the last time renditions as nice as this have been heard at St. Peter’s basilica? The National Lutheran Choir is the 2007 winner of the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence. As evidenced by this highly professional recording under the direction of David Cherwien, it is a deserved honor. Across the board, the quality of this recording is excellent. All the primary suspects of any French compilation—Duruflé, Dupré, Widor— are allowed to soar as always they do when choral inferiority does not get in the way. And in this case, there is not even a whiff of that.
—The Living Church
This “greatest hits” disc is likely to appeal to choir members who have sung one or more of the works presented, or likewise to singers who would like to rehearse at home with a polished performance of an anthem or Mass to be sung in the near future. The choir is very fine indeed, but the repertory is all quite standard with the possible exception of the exquisite O magnum mysterium and Hymne à la Vierge of Pierre Villette (1926-1998) and the Widor Tu es Petrus (not the Mulet organ solo of that title).
The remainder of the choral program consists of the Vierne Messe solennelle and motets of Duruflé, Poulenc, Messiaen, and Dupré. Martin Jean accompanies the Mass and the Dupré Four Motets admirably. In addition, David Cherwien concludes the program with a spirited performance of the ubiquitous Widor Toccata.
The National Lutheran Choir has precision, lovely intonation, and scrupulous diction. The recorded sound quality is most impressive. The liner contains full texts, biographies, and credits.
—Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians
(December 2008)
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