The Little Match Girl CD Reviews
01.09.09, The New York Times
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"The score sounds simple and neo-medieval at first, but further listening reveals layers of harmonic and contrapuntal complexity. And the choir, singing with an icy, uninflected detachment, paints a deeply moving portrait of the girl within a harrowing landscape."
- Allan Kozinn
01.09.09, OPERA NEWS
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
The multiplicity of textures he creates with just four voices is truly impressive... it’s difficult not to be moved... The cumulative effect is remarkable, with the result that Lang actually succeeds in his unlikely mission of transforming the poor Little Match Girl into an icon and martyr.
Joshua Rosenblum
22.08.09, The Times, London
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
“...this incantatory, moving choral work...splendidly performed by Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices...
Humane and simple, it really does cast a spell.”
- Geoff Brown
15.08.09, IONARTS.COM
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
Match Girl...weaves a mesmerizing spell for the 35 minutes of this performance... The performance of four singers from Hillier's select group Theater of Voices, known for excellent work like their memorable recording of Stockhausen's Stimmung two years ago, is faultless and compelling.
-Charles Downey
12.08.09, - West Australian
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia mundi HMU 807496
CD OF THE WEEK
- West Australian
06.08.09, CYCLIC DEFROST, Australien Blog
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
“Lang’s libretto reduces the tale to bare fragments and, read alone, has the force of poetry; sung by the Theatre of Voices, the results are spellbinding.”
Joshua Meggitt
02.08.09, SEQUENZA21
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices, who co-commissioned the piece with Carnegie Hall, perform the piece beautifully, and there are nice details in this studio recording that were only hinted at in the live recording which Carnegie Hall made available after the premiere...gorgeous piece...Go buy and/or listen to Match Girl."
- Galen H. Brown
02.08.09, Chigaco Tribune
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"Don't miss it; it's an aural experience like no other."
- John Von Rhein
01.08.09, CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"...here, simple phrases, sung a cappella by pure, stark voices, overlap and repeat hypnotically. The text, drawn from sources multiple and diverse, seals the deal, conveying powerful drama and emotion with the greatest of economy."
GRADE: A
- Zachary Lewis
01.08.09, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
5 stars
“...inspired by Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Lang’s libretto follows the practice of th passion play by including commentary and reflection alongside the storytelling. The result is deeply moving immersing the listener in the beauty and pathos of this hear-wrenching tale. Lang’s music is perfectly matched to the text. This excellent recording by Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices makes compelling listening. The singing is exquisite; clear and pure-toned. Highly recommended.”
- Mark Coughlan
09.07.09, THE BOSTON GLOBE
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"the 'Passion'...possesses an austere, fragile beauty. Melodic lines interlace in a slow, sad sequence, and every change in the texture registers with the listener."
- David Weininger
02.07.09, New York Magazine
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"Voices intertwine, forming piquant medieval dissonances that ring against fields of luminous choral harmony. The atmosphere is at once knowing and pure, like a Pre-Raphaelite painting. Medieval counterpoint and Renaissance harmony hang in air, but so does the tang of today."
- Justin Davidson
19.06.09, Time Out Chicago
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
5 stars
"The vocal work is stunning... Nothing short of devastating, Match Girl deserves whatever trophies are thrown its way."
Doyle Armbrust
11.06.09, San Antonio Express-News
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
"'The Little Match Girl" deserves the Pulitzer Prize it was awarded last year...If considered separately, the text and the music wouldn't amount to much. Together, they are magic...Another layer of music adds an outside awareness of the girl's suffering, adding to the dramatic effect."
- David Hendricks
08.06.09, NEW MUSIC BOX
The Little Match Girl Passion, Harmonia Mundi 807496
“The crystalline, pitch perfect performances captured here resonate in the memory long after the final notes fade. It's addictive. Expect this disc to go onto heavy rotation on your music player of choice.”
- Molly Sheridan