The 7th album in the choral music anthology by Ensemble ArtChoral and their conductor Matthias Maute is dedicated to so-called modern music, which here essentially encompasses works by composers from the XXth and XXIth centuries. Which, unlike other eras, opens up a greater diversity of genres. In this respect, we are spoiled, for although all the pieces (except two) are based on religious texts, everything is different. There are no accompanied works, but that’s okay. The album kicks off with the energetic “Unicornis Captivatur” by Ola Gjeilo (pronounced “Yellow”), who has mostly accustomed us to soaring pieces. Another highlight of the album is Morten Lauridsen’s “O magnum mysterium,” in which ArtChoral plunges us into meditation with a perfect interpretation.
At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the very surprising “Nyon Nyon,” which makes abundant use of body and mouth percussion (beat-box) with very successful results. The album closes with Pablo Casals’ “O vos omnes,” and we can only note similarities with Carlo Gesualdo’s piece of the same name, which also closes their Baroque I album.
One of the greatest strengths of this album is the order in which the pieces are presented. Although they are all different, each one flows seamlessly into the next. We recommend that you listen to it, letting yourself be carried along by the storyline the artists have put together. It can be listened to in one go, and listened to very well!
