KREK Three Autumn Songs. Vöra bije. Salmo XLII. Samono ugibanje. Vester, Camenae. ELSE MARIE PADE Korsetser. Völo-spa hoc est. Maria • Marina Batič, cond; Danish Natl Voc Ens • OUR 8.226924 (68:06)
This is a beautifully rendered showcase of mostly a cappella music by two little-known 20th-composers, at least outside of their native environments. The music of Slovenian composer Uroš Krek (1922–2008) is the more conventional of the two. His interest in ethnomusicology drew him to Slovenian folk music, which presumably influenced his writing for choral music, as heard in these compositions written in the years 1991 to 1997. Although he set Latin texts to music, as in the Vester, Camenae and the Three Autumn Songs that open the program are heard in English translations, it is the musical works set to his native Slovenian that are most distinctive. Krek’s careful attention to the angular, expressive nature of the words adds an exotic layer to otherwise fairly traditional, if finely crafted, choral writing.
Else Marie Pade’s distinction is to be the first Danish composer to explore electronic music, and as a pioneer in the field generally. Curiously, only one of the three works by Pade on this program employs any electronic effects, even though the three-part Koraster that she completed in 1955 was originally scored with piano and electronics. Although this omission of the original scoring seems like a bit if a tease, it does not dampen the utter delight of the music. The first song is titled I dromme (In Dreams), but all three songs have a dreamy quality, as if Pade’s muse came to her in a reverie, producing eerily beautiful Christmas carols. Völo-spa hoc est is a female-only (sopranos and altos) vocal work that depicts the mythical Nordic apocalypse, Ragnarök, with an appropriately dirge-like quality meant to evoke a trance-induced prophecy. The style is closely modelled on Gregorian chant, but with distinctly modern harmonies woven into the texture as well.
Völo-spa hoc est was premiered in 1956. Shortly afterward, Pade began to explore electronic music in depth. Maria, completed in 1980, is an 11-part work based on the Apostles’ Creed, depicting the suffering of Mary. It is a daring and deeply felt work, with the chorus augmented by baritone and soprano soloists (superbly sung by Jakob Soelberg and Anna Miilmann), plus seven trombones and electronic effects. Most of the choral work is spoken or intoned. Pade’s use of electronics is subtle, even elegant, often creating the sound of church bells pealing across great distances. This effect is especially touching in the concluding Vivere (To Live), with Miilmann’s soaring coloratura soprano expressing a mesmerizing sense of joy and religious revelation. It would be wonderful to hear this work live, in a nicely echoic space, as the work is designed to have the amplified sound move gradually upward as the music progresses.
I am always happy to receive an OUR Recording release to review, because almost invariably it will include interesting, even revelatory music that is beautifully performed and smartly produced. This recording is no exception. Peter Burwasser

https://fanfarearchive.com/articles/atop/48_5/4850130.aa_KREK_Three_Autumn_Songs.html