Skalholt Mass (2000)

Album review

Due to its stable counterpoint, predominantly diatonic harmonies, and mild dissonances, Hródmar Ingi Sigurbjörnsson's Skálholt Mass (2000) may seem fairly easy to digest. However, there are some odd elements in this Mass that challenge preconceptions, and on closer investigation, suggest that Sigurbjörnsson may not be as conservative as he claims to be. Note the intricate rhythms in the three vocal parts that harken back to Medieval techniques, the quirky chromatic ornaments and appoggiaturas, and the unexpected mix of Renaissance, Baroque, and modern instruments that recall the neo-Classicism of Stravinsky or even the more absurd montages of Peter Maxwell Davies. Since Sigurbjörnsson's music is a strange blend of techniques, amorphous in style, and more than a little unsettling in its darker moments, one wonders whether Skálholt Mass is better suited to the concert hall than to practical liturgical use. Soprano Marta Guðrún Halldórsdóttir, tenor Finnur Bjarnason, bass Benedikt Ingólfsson, and the Caput Ensemble, directed by Gunnsteinn Olafsson, render the piece with skill and accuracy, though its numerous peculiarities seem to distance them emotionally. Smekkleysa's sound has some balance problems, but on the whole is decent.

© TiVo