(4.5 stars)
A choral work by Joseph Haydn’s younger brother Michael that hasn’t been heard for 250 years has been unearthed and premiered in two stunning Melbourne concerts by the Australian Boys Choir.
The original score of Litaniae Lauretanae in C Major, MH 71 was preserved in a cathedral archive and was recently digitised by Austrian scientist and musician Wolfgang Esser-Skala. Nicholas Dinopoulos, Artistic Director of the Australian Boys Choral Institute, got hold of a copy and the four-part work was given its Australian premiere at two performances, at St Mary’s Basilica, Geelong, and Sacred Heart Church, Carlton, in collaboration with the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and four soloists.
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There were some balance problems on the livestream audio with microphones picking up the plosive sounds from the basses, which was distracting at times, and slight distortion in the higher register of the organ. That said, the four works were magnificently performed and the choir was in top form, led tightly and dynamically by Dinopoulos.
After interval the Michael Haydn work was unveiled, and what a magnificent piece it proved to be. After an attractive introduction with organ weaving in between lively brass and strings, the choir enters for a jaunty Kyrie. Each of the three subsequent sections has a grandeur about the writing, aided by the three trombones and twinned trumpets and some virtuosic keyboard writing.
The Sancta Maria, marked andantino, provides a nice multi-layered contrast to the faster movements and the Regina Angelorum proves to be quite a spectacular showcase for instrumentalists and choristers alike, all delivered with admirable intonation and energy.
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This concert whets the appetite for more of Michael’s long-forgotten works just waiting to be rediscovered and revived.
Steve Moffatt, Limelight, 23 May 2022