MOR Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.5

MOR Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 5, 2024

If you're old enough to remember the advent of CDs, the sudden emergence of digitally recorded music without the background noise and occasional skipping of old school long playing records was something of a revelation, even if later critics came along to decry the lack of "warmth" digitally recorded music supposedly offered. I am old enough to remember the advent of CDs, and being the "first on the block" type to upgrade technology, I bought a CD player when you still had to go to "specialty" stores to even be able to purchase the friggin' CDs (then still kind of comically packaged in so-called "long boxes"). I frankly can't remember the exact release I picked up, but one of the first CDs I purchased (which may in fact have been an actual analog recording later transferred digitally) included both the Pergolesi and Scarlatti versions of Stabat Mater, and "lack of warmth" be damned, one thing I do remember is the overwhelming gorgeousness of combined choral forces presented with crystal clarity offering what might be called the "mother's point of view" of the Passion.

This fascinating "combo platter" offers the aforementioned Scarlatti Stabat Mater interwoven with a newer piece by Petra Bjørkhaug and Ragnhild Jepsen called Sårmerkt, which the liner notes in the insert booklet translate as "wounded". Bjørkhaug offers the following insight in these comments included in the insert booklet:

In these compositions, I wanted to find a musical language that could both correspond to and contrast with Scarlatti's music. The work is composed as a commentary on the Stabat Mater but can also be performed as an independent work. After many years of working Olivier Messiaen's tonal language in organ improvisation, this was an important source of inspiration for writing the music for Ragnhild Jepsen's strong and vivid texts. It is hoped that the choral compositions can be experienced as redemptive for the content of the texts, and that they can provide a space for reflection and contemplation.

This is simply ravishing choral singing, with some occasional organ and/or cello accompaniment. Anyone already acquainted with Scarlatti's piece (or in fact some of the other "big" settings of the Stabat Mater) will appreciate the sonorities that Bjørkhaug creates, and if there is some very slight intonation/timbre wobbliness at the very highest reaches of some of the soprano solos, the overall sound here is stunning and, for those still recovering from some of 2L's more "adventurous" modern outings, typically gorgeously tonal and easily "accessible".

MOR Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While there is an AVC 1080 video component to this release, it's really just a standard menu. A few "moving parts" are included, with the track titles changing and a complete tracklist also available, along with a credits pop up informational screen. You can control which audio codec you prefer via the colored buttons on your remote and so really don't need to have a monitor employed to enjoy this release. See the fifth photo accompanying this review for a look at the "expanded" menu.

MOR Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Once again 2L provides fans of Blu-ray audio with another sumptuous recording on this disc, offered via a variety of codecs, including Auro 3D, Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. The surround tracks are absolutely stunning to listen to, and I defy anyone who is still in the "digital recordings lack warmth" category to say that these performances are "cold" or "sterile" in any way. There's a beautiful sense of the cathedral hall ambience, and as usual with 2L recordings, the sound stage mirrors the "in the round" (or at least "in the semicircle") directionality of how the singers were placed during the recording session. Some of the more antiphonal tracks, like Inflammatus et accensus provide clear channelization for various choral sections. Fidelity is top notch as usual with 2L recordings.

MOR Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While there is no on disc bonus content other than mShuttle availability, 2L also includes a CD and a really nicely appointed insert booklet with complete texts and more information on the songs.

MOR Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some of 2L's releases can be on the modern, astringent and/or atonal side, but this offering is much more "traditional", which may make it more of an "easy" listen for some. Anyone who loves some of the legendary vocal composers from the Renaissance and/or Baroque periods in particular should certainly find this a worthwhile and moving listening experience. Recommended.