Miserere In bes, Symfonie In Es (1997)

"It was ETA Hoffmanns writings which so inspired Schumann and Offenbach. But Hoffmann (1776-1822) was a composer of note himself, graduating via occupied Poland to the German theatre and opera house. In Bamberg, Hoffmann left a durable mark, and in return these capable forces do him more than credit. Both works hold up well, though the youthful, spirited, Classical-style Symphony played inspiredly, if just a little bass-heavy is less fertile in ideas than the forty-minute choral work, where Hoffmanns Mozartian fervour and keen grasp of earlier repertoire bear fruit. The Miserere, planned for a Catholic royal occasion, based on a reduced Psalm 50 and cast in some dozen sections, is an ideal textual vehicle for Hoffmanns intelligent and imaginative word-setting. All the soloists do well; Becks choir sings with genuine feeling, the orchestras ample bowing lends full body and a stately forward momentum. The warm Koch acoustic enhances all." (Roderic Dunnett, BBC Music Magazine)

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