Frank Martin: 'Mass for Double Choir, Kyrie' (Stanford Chamber Chorale)

The Stanford Chamber Chorale, under the direction of guest conductor Dr. Jameson Marvin, performs the Kyrie from Frank Martin's "Mass for Double Choir." Although the mass is now widely recognized as one of the great unaccompanied choral works of the 20th century, Martin hid the manuscript in a drawer for over 40 years before allowing it to first be performed in 1963. Asked about his reluctance to release the work, Martin replied, "I considered it...as being a matter between God and myself. I felt then that an expression of religious feeling should remain secret and removed from public opinion." In the Kyrie, Martin blends the modal harmonies of the Renaissance with the added-tone sonorities of Debussy to create a spellbinding - and entirely unique - musical language.

The audio is taken from the Chorale's fall concert, "Motets of the Millenium," on November 16, 2013 in Stanford Memorial Church. The audio recording was done by Mark Dalrymple.

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