BBC Singers - Poulenc

[jonfan]

There’s a superb disc of Poulenc’s choral music sung by the BBC Singers, conducted by Sofi Jeannin, with the latest BBC MM. It may help to sway their critics on these boards to acknowledge that they are peerless in this repertoire.

[Pulcinella]

I wouldn't go so far as peerless, but I did say on 20 February (post 9977 in What are you listening to now):

A Poulenc fest (or should that be fête?) here.
Two new CDs that arrived yesterday.

The BBC MM CD that includes the Mass (BBC Singers have been tamed!), and then the Layton Gloria, which appealed so much during BaL.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

When you say the BBC Singers have been “tamed”, are you saying the horrendous wobble has been eliminated? It was still there in December.

[Pulcinella]

When you say the BBC Singers have been “tamed”, are you saying the horrendous wobble has been eliminated? It was still there in December.

I was at least able to endure the whole CD (mind you, as 'background', so perhaps not carefully enough to pass better judgement!).
Didn't have me rushing for the 'stop' button though.


The Mass was performed/recorded on 29 March 2018, and the other works on 21 June 2019.

[jonfan]

I was at least able to endure the whole CD (mind you, as 'background', so perhaps not carefully enough to pass better judgement!).
Didn't have me rushing for the 'stop' button though.


The Mass was performed/recorded on 29 March 2018, and the other works on 21 June 2019.

You’re right there, not qualified to pass judgement.
Some of the most challenging music for any choir to perform deserves careful listening before pressing a stop button, assuming you are aware the pieces are challenging. No wobble either. Brilliant

[Pulcinella]

You’re right there, not qualified to pass judgement.
Some of the most challenging music for any choir to perform deserves careful listening before pressing a stop button, assuming you are aware the pieces are challenging. No wobble either. Brilliant

The choir I sing in did, in fact, perform the Poulenc mass recently, so I'm perfectly well aware of the challenges in the work, especially for first basses!
But thank you for your comment.
We don't wobble.
Glad you think the BBCS don't either in this case.

And just because music is challenging that does not in itself mean that wobble is acceptable, does it?

I did qualify with 'better' my judgement statement, and my original comment stands: they seemed to have been tamed in the Mass (compared, say, to their BBC MM RVW Mass a while back: that was unlistenable to, as far as I was concerned).
I was not sure that the other pieces did not evince some of their usual soloistic non-blending qualities, though.
But I shall give a more careful consideration the next time I put it on, at your suggestion.

[jonfan]

Re wobble I was referring to #3