Frieder Bernius - Mendelssohn: Magnificat (2008)

Even Mendelssohn's admirers might be confused by the identity of the composer of these sacred choral works. There are hints of Bach's triumphalism in the opening Magnificat and more than hints of Handel's imperialism in the closing Gloria. Careful listening, though, will reveal the composer's true identity in the expressive elegance of the solo arias, the restrained power of the choruses, the calibrated strength of the scoring, and the slight chromatic inflections of the harmonies. All these qualities are wholly characteristic of Mendelssohn and all are superbly brought out in these performances by Frieder Bernius, the Kammerchor Stuttgart, and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. They bring to the Magnificat and Gloria the sensitivity of devoted musicians and the passion of true believers, and the shorter works have a remarkably concentrated intensity. Though not in the same class as Bach's transcendent a cappella setting, Mendelssohn's seven-minute version of Jesu meine Freunde is deeply felt and beautifully written, and this performance presents all its best qualities in superlative super audio sound.