MDR Rundfunkchor & Risto Joost - Confessions of Faith: Choral Concertos by Bortniansky & Schnittke (2017) [Hi-Res]

The first release by the MDR Radio Chorus under its new director Risto Joost is not just a confession of faith, but truly a confession of sound as well: the ensemble’s second GENUIN release presents Russian sacred music. What impressive musical contrasts we hear in the remarkable acoustics of Leipzig’s Paul Gerhardt Church: distinctive contours from the too-little-known classicist Dmitry Bortniansky (1751–1825) feature alongside the monumental blocks of sound and etheric soundscapes of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir. Both works bear witness not only to the power of faith, but also of music, interpreted by the MDR Radio Chorus with eloquence, sparkling precision, and total commitment – absolutely recommended!