Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz - Herzogenberg: Mass in E Minor, Op. 87 (2000)

Another one of cpo's admirable series devoted to less familiar composers, the Heinrich Herzogenberg coverage seems to have ambitions of achieving something like completeness. Herzogenberg (1843-1900) is hardly a familiar name to concert-goers these days, but he is a composer worth discovering if not one who ranks among the greatest or most original composers of his day. The Mass op.87 was composed in 1894 and originally thought lost, and it is dense and dramatic and heavily contrapuntal - quite some distance removed from the music of his friend Brahms. To get an idea of what it is like, it may be worth mentioning that it was composed in memory of the Bach scholar Spitta, and though the musical language is definitely cut from the romanticism of his day, the connection may to some extent account for Herzogenberg penchant for employing fugues as well as for much of the textural character. It starts of with a bang, and dramatic tension is upheld for much of the work, though there are some wonderfully beautiful, reflective parts as well (especially the Agnus dei). There's lots going on, though, and the often rather dense textures mean that it might be a little overwhelming if heard straight through. Nevertheless, it is not without original touches and while not a torch-bearer for modernism it is hardly an anachronism either. Worth checking out, and the performances here at least appear to do it justice. The sound is good as well (any tendency toward opacity can probably be blamed on the composer).