"Charles Ives | Psalms" (2007)

'Psalms' is a partial collection of the classical composer Charles Ives' vocal ensemble composition set to psalms written or reworked between circa 1887 and 1924. I would not normally recommend Ives for mild mannered listeners but this work is absolutely gorgeous in its polytonality - ingenious weaving of dissonance and harmony, this is the Frank Zappa of the classical world...and then some. The works in this collection are of course challenging, and even genuinely alarming at times, but highly listenable. Ives' compositions for psalms are my favorite of his expansive work because a choir - especially a world renowned choir like the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart - gets a lot more lead out of the music than an orchestra. All the major earmarks of Ivesian composition seem to be in full swing for the duration of each psalm. My qualm with these particular recordings is that chorus master Marcus Creed fails to allow this material to breath at times. Psalm 67 (track 3 in this collection) is an example of the director strangling the musics impact as it feels rushed and unsubstantiated - though I can understand this style of directing if Creed is perhaps attempting to abbreviate passages to aid unaccustomed audiences in perceiving the various, often bitonally striated melodies of the pieces...I still feel the conductor could have left time to let the emotional impact of the work shine through - though his interpretation is otherwise pretty spotless. This is undeniably epic material - reasonably interpreted. The liner notes for 'Psalms' are a small treasure, offering track by track insight into the complex inner workings of the pieces, as well as Ives symbollically willful use of harmony and voicing in reference to the Psalter itself. Any Charles Ives you can get your hands on is well worth it for all the musics numerous strengths, but 'Psalms' is a real showcase of a talented, modern choir singing some of the most difficult work by an already challenging composer...but at minimal expense the listener! Additionally I've had trouble finding many other recordings of Ives' psalms, so if you're in the market for semichallening, highly evocative choral music unlike anything you've heard before, check this one out. Oh, and keep the lights on...MUSED: 85% ABUSED: 15%