Edward Gardner and his orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic, have gathered exceptional soloists, together with double choir, for the latest in their Janáček series. Sara Jakubiak, Susan Bickley, Stuart Skelton and Gabor Bretz are joined by virtuoso organist Thomas Trotter for the composer’s 1926 late masterpiece: the exuberant, rumbustious Glagolitic Mass. Gardner steers the clash of brass, strings, chorus and soloists with confidence, the instrumental outer movements ablaze with excitement, the whole well balanced but still dangerous and invigorating. In addition to the Adagio (c1890) and Zdrávas Maria (1904), a serene setting of the Lord’s Prayer (1901), with Skelton’s beautiful tenor solo, stands out.
