Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The 70 minutes of music on this disc marks the sixth release on the LPO label to be conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin with performances recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall in 2013 and 2014 as part of his final season in London. Even without the applause at the conclusion of the "Stabat Mater" one can tell it is a live recording. Not, let it be said, because of any defects in the musicianship but because the audio quality is not quite of studio standard. Not enough to spoil my listening pleasure but certainly sufficient to notice. We open with Poulenc's "Piano Concerto in C sharp minor" written for a North American concert tour in 1950 and played here by Alexandre Tharaud. The music is fast-paced, lively and reminds this listener just a little of Gershwin - which is no bad thing in my book. "The Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani in G minor" features James O'Donnell and was recorded in March 2014 as part of the Pull Out All The Stops festival that celebrated the restoration of the Royal Festival Hall organ which had been out of use since 2005. Poulenc worked on this concerto between 1934 and 1938 and it was first performed in June 1939 with Maurice Durufle as soloist. It is of its time - which is an observation not a criticism - and moves from Bach-like declamation to fairground jollity which is typical of Poulenc's style. The quick review is to say that if you have previously enjoyed Poulenc's instrumental compositions you will be sure to like this too. Of most interest is his setting of the medieval prayer for salvation addressed to Mary the mother of Jesus that Poulenc used as the basis of a musical tribute to his deceased friend Christian Berard, first performed in 1950. Poulenc was not a prolific writer of religious music but his "Stabat Mater" is certainly one of the highlights of 20th century liturgical music. It continues to show the composer's eclectic, restless style and probably the easiest comparison I can give would be to say it reminds me of Leonard Bernstein. The soloist is Kate Royal whose performance is excellent although, for me, not quite as good as Carolyn Sampson's 2014 recording with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.

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.

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