Talk:Vexilla regis (Bruckner)

Discography
Thank you for drafting this page on one of the most popular motets of the composer.

For the selection of the discography, the intrinsic worth of the performance can be assessed by using more objective features, as respectful use of the score and its indicated tempo, the quality of the sound produced by the used instruments or the voice of the singer, the quality of the recording itself, etc. A choice among the better performances can so be made, by comparing their intrinsic worth.

A critical review of the available performances of Bruckner's Vexilla regis is currently ongoing by Hans Roelofs. See Critical review of about 60 recordings of ''Vexilla regis.

You have selected three recordings: Best, Layton and a compilation including Gronostay's performance of 1985, which is not by the Netherlands Chamber Choir, but by the Danish Radio Choir. Gronostay's performance of 1995 with the Netherlands Chamber Choir is on another CD: Globe GLO 5160. Please precise it.

I guess these three recordings are indeed among good performances; however this selected discography should be reviewed according to Roelofs' ongoing critical review. --Réginald alias Meneerke bloem (To reply) 10:08, 22 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Hello Meneerke. The compilation's liner notes credit the Netherlands Chamber Choir with the performance (confirmed by their website) but do not give an original recording date; if what you say is correct we might expect it was the 1995 performance, unless you have a reason to doubt that? Nikkimaria (talk) 05:00, 23 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I will ask Hans to check it. To avoid problems, you should better cite the original recording of the work, instead of a later issued compilation-CD.
 * FYI: The date you find on Hans' discography is the date of recording of the concerned work, not the date of issue of the LP / CD. --Réginald alias Meneerke bloem (To reply) 10:31, 23 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, but typically we use release date instead for discography listings. Nikkimaria (talk) 14:44, 23 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Errare humanum est.' Hans has confirmed in the meantime that the compilation included Gronostay's performance of 1995 with the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Hans has corrected the mistake. Gronostay's performance of 1995 with seven motets of Bruckner was originally recorded on CD: Globe GLO 5160. As I previously wrote on your talk-page, I would advise to refer to it instead of to the later issued compilation of the performances of the Choir (NM Classics 93001) with only one of these Bruckner motets (Vexilla regis). --Réginald alias Meneerke bloem (To reply) 15:34, 23 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Please take also into account that the large majority of the recordings are using a score, the text of which is not in accordance with the current edition of the Gesamtausgabe. A few recent recordings, as Hans-Christoph Rademann (2000) and Erwin Ortner (2008), are using the newer edition of the score.
 * NB: The same is happening for Os justi (WAB 30), of which the large majority of the recordings are using the older score, which is missing the ending Versus-Chorale Inveni David (wrongly put by Grasberger separately as Inveni David II WAB 20). Only two recordings: Robert Jones (1994) and Duncan Ferguson (2010), are recording the complete motet, with the ending Versus-Chorale. --Réginald alias Meneerke bloem (To reply) 12:50, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

Hans' critical review of about 40 recordings of Bruckner's Vexilla regis is completed. According to this review the better recordings with the original text are those by Matthew Best, Peter Fiala, Uwe Gronostay (1985 and 1995), Philippe Herreweghe, Eugen Jochum, Magnar Mangersnes and Dan-Olof Stenlund, Mangersnes being the best. Layton's performance is, according to Roelofs, is good, but less convincing. The best recording in accordance with the current edition of the Gesamtausgabe (revised text of Vexilla regis) is that by Erwin Ortner. --Réginald alias Meneerke bloem (To reply) 12:31, 2 October 2014 (UTC)