Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

I picked up this budget re-issue because I wanted to hear Orff's setting of the poems of Catullus. (You know Carl Orff: his "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana is on almost every classical compilation.) Good though the Catulli is, it is not going to be reviewed here as it has no Christian content. Stravinsky's Symphony Of Psalms is, of course, another matter. This is his 1948 version, recorded in 1972 by the English Bach Festival Choir and London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. We get extracts from three Psalms, sung in Latin, in Stravinsky's attempt at redefining the symphony. If you have any interest in 20th century classical music, this is a vital piece of work. And the Orff is not bad either.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.