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An adherent of Friedrich Nietzsche and an avowed skeptic of conventional religion, Frederick Delius was the last composer to be expected to compose anything resembling the Roman Catholic mass. However, A Mass of Life is more a secular oratorio than a mass, and the texts from Nietzsche’s Also sprach Zarathustra firmly put this gigantic work in the Zeitgeist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ideas about the superman and the human will were common for the time, and the buoyant optimism that inspired this work had yet to be shattered by world wars and the other tragedies to come. Musically, this is a dramatically different style for Delius, rather similar in its ebullience and sweeping grandeur to Vaughan Williams’ "A Sea Symphony" from the same decade. This performance by conductor David Hill, the Bach Choir, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an important addition to the catalog, mainly because A Mass of Life is rarely performed, let alone recorded, and unless historical recordings by Thomas Beecham or Charles Groves are acceptable, this is one of a handful of modern, all-digital recordings available. The text is sung in the original German, rather than the English translation that was once favored, though the vast sea of voices that ebb and flow over the dense orchestral writing almost make following the words impractical. Any admirer of Delius should hear this composition at least once, and many fans will want to give this recording several hearings. The Prelude and Idyll that were adapted from Delius’ opera, Margot la Rouge, are pleasant filler for the second disc in the package.
Disc 1
A Mass of Life
1. Part I: O Du mein Wille! (Chorus) 00:05:27
2. Part I: Erhebt eure Herzen (Baritone) 00:02:02
3. Part I: In dein Auge schaute ich jungst (Chorus, Tenor, Soprano, Mezzo – Soprano, Baritone) 00:13:50
4. Part I: Wehe mir! (Baritone, Chorus) 00:02:39
5. Part I: Nacht ist es (Chorus, Baritone) 00:08:47
6. Part II: Auf den Bergen – 00:05:36
7. Part II: Herauf! nun herauf (Chorus, Soprano, Mezzo – Soprano, Tenor) 00:04:21
8. Part II: Susse Leier! (Baritone) 00:04:49
Disc 2
1. Part II: Lento – La la la (Chorus) – Lasst vom Tanze nicht ab (Baritone, Chorus) 00:18:28
2. Part II: Heisser Mittag schlaft (Chorus, Baritone, Mezzo – Soprano, Soprano, Tenor) 00:14:37
3. Part II: Gottes Weh ist tiefer (Baritone, Chorus) 00:04:32
4. Part II: Kommt! Lasst uns jetzo wandeln! (Chorus, Baritone, Tenor, Mezzo – Soprano, Soprano) 00:13:16
Prelude and Idyll
5. Prelude – 00:03:18
6. Idyll: Once I passed through a populous city (Baritone, Soprano) 00:16:37
Janice Watson (soprano)
Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo-soprano)
Andrew Kennedy (tenor)
Alan Opie (baritone)
The Bach Choir
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
David Hill
FLAC (http://www.adrive.com/public/kFreeC/Delius%20-%20A%20Mass%20of%20Life%20-%20Hill.rar)