Hummel: Der Durchzug durchs rote Meer, S33

HUMMEL Der Durchzug durchs Rote Meer • Hermann Max, cond; Simone Kermes (sop); Veronika Winter (sop); Hans Jörg Mammel (ten); Ekkehard Abele (bs); Wolf Matthias Friedrich (bs); Rheinische Kantorei; Das Kleine Konzert • cpo 777 220 (50:45 & ) Live: Klosterbasilike Knechtsteden 9/22/2004 Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s piano music, particularly his concertos, are gems that are hidden from view far more than they deserve to be. Occasional performances and recordings remind us of Hummel’s inventiveness and imagination, as well as his solid craft. This oratorio, The Passage through the Red Sea , is further proof of those qualities. While this may not be an undiscovered masterpiece, it is a work capable of providing a great deal of pleasure, even on repeated hearings. The writing is at times inspired, powerful, and even rather original. Almost all solo arias have choral sections inserted in their midst, a quite unusual and effective touch. The work may not have been perform