Dvorak finished his Stabat Mater shortly after he lost three children in succession to an early death. Yet there are lyrics such as "She watched her sweet offspring/Dying forsaken," and at the same time the music is not very mournful. It’s by no means Up With People, but the piece has moments where it uses moderately cheerful melodies atop the lament. Plus, other than a brief passage in the opening of the first movement, there aren’t many striking themes. If one is familiar with Brahms’ German Requiem, it is not hard to understand how sorrowful music can be spellbinding. This type of passion is missing here; in addition, the angular motifs that first drew me to Dvorak way back when are scarce.

So I spent the entire preceding paragraph grumbling about the inadequacies of the work, yet I start this review by claiming that it is a great CD. What gives?

Robert Shaw took over as musical director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 1967, then formed the Atlanta SO shortly thereafter. I haven’t heard any of the ASO’s recordings before Stravinsky’s Firebird [Telarc 80039], released in 1979, and I’m not sure I really want to. By the time Shaw relinquished his position in 1988, the ASO and chorus were first-rate ensembles -- their Brahms’ German Requiem [Telarc 80092] confirms this. The CD reviewed here is also something very, very special. This recording can be placed in an elite class; you can sense a profound synergy between both conductor and musicians, and between all the participants and the composition.

Yet it still took me a while to figure out why I liked this CD so much. I guess this is an example of a great performance overcoming what is lacking in a composition. Even so, there is still much to admire about Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, as long as you don’t directly compare it to his more convincing works (actually, I’m surprised Robert Shaw didn’t choose a stronger choral piece, for example, Dvorak's Requiem). His use of pleasant themes can be easily interpreted as hope, faith, and anticipation of the afterlife. That this was Robert Shaw’s last recording with the ASO and chorus, it is almost a relief that this piece isn’t a mournful dirge. The liner notes state that all had a wonderful time making this recording and that Shaw was in particularly good spirits during the sessions and its live performances as part of the orchestra’s 1998 season.

I suppose I’m also drawn to this CD because of the excellent recording quality. I could have easily spent this entire review commenting upon the superb sound. The orchestra is magnificent -- the soundstage is wide and deep with all the sections appropriately placed; and the chorus sounds exquisite, with an almost perfect balance between it and the orchestra. The soloists are also outstanding; I’ve rarely heard vocals sound as natural.

If I were to nit-pick, I guess it would be that the vocal soloists are mixed a bit too loudly in comparison to the rest of the orchestra and chorus. This reflects my personal taste more than anything else -- I don’t think the level is any different than that of most every other recording of the ilk. Rather than sounding as if they are singing into the hall, it sounds as if they are singing into microphones. But again, I was amazed at the natural-sounding vocals that were emanating from my speakers. Especially noteworthy is Stanford Olsen’s tenor.