Matthew Best (conductor)

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Matthew Best (born 6 February 1957) is an English bass singer and conductor, especially of vocal music. He founded the ensemble Corydon Singers in 1973 and won the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 1981. From 1985, he was also a guest conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra. His recordings with Corydon Singers were made on the Hyperion Records label and focus on choral music by the likes of Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn. He is currently engaged as Music Director of the Academy Choir Wimbledon and as a Principal Study singing teacher at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Contents

Discography

Matthew Best founded Corydon Singers in 1973 which achieved recognition as one of the foremost choirs in Britain. Indeed, in a light-hearted article in The Guardian in 2002 on the potential for a connection to exist between the quality of football fans' singing and their team's performance, David McKie wondered whether "Bolton could yet excel even Southampton if they cleared all their other supporters off the terraces and replaced them with the Corydon Singers". [1]

Under Matthew Best's direction Corydon Singers released their first recording, in 1983, of Bruckner motets. Their subsequent and numerous recordings, all for Hyperion Records and under Matthew Best's direction, earned the approval of the press in Britain, Europe, the United States, Japan and elsewhere. Matthew Best's 1990 recording with Corydon Singers of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music and other works was selected as Record of the Year by both the Guardian Newspaper and The Sunday Times, and was nominated for the Brit Awards. Their recording of Rachmaninov Vespers was chosen as the preferred version in BBC Radio 3's 'Building a Library' and their recording of Anton Bruckner's Te Deum and Mass in D minor was selected as one of the top releases of 1993 by the BBC's Record Review.

According to Hans Roelofs, Matthew Best is one of the better performers of Bruckner's religious music. [2]

Matthew Best's recordings with performances of Bruckner's Requiem, [3] Mass No. 2 (1882 version), [4] and Psalms 114 [5] and 112 [6] and his CD devoted to Bruckner's motets and his performances of Masses Nos. 1 [7] and 3, [8] Aequali, [9] Libera me (II), [10] Te Deum [11] and Psalm 150 [12] are regarded as being among the better available recordings.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Deum (Bruckner)</span>

The Te Deum in C major, WAB 45, is a setting of the Te Deum hymn, composed by Anton Bruckner for SATB choir and soloists, orchestra, and organ ad libitum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass No. 3 (Bruckner)</span>

The Mass No. 3 in F minor, WAB 28, is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, and organ ad libitum, that Anton Bruckner composed in 1867–1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass No. 2 (Bruckner)</span>

The Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27 is a setting of the mass ordinary for eight-part mixed choir and fifteen wind instruments, that Anton Bruckner composed in 1866.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Requiem (Bruckner)</span>

The Requiem in D minor, WAB 39, is a Missa pro defunctis composed by Anton Bruckner in 1849.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psalm 150 (Bruckner)</span>

Anton Bruckner's Psalm 150, WAB 38, is a setting of Psalm 150 for mixed chorus, soprano soloist and orchestra written in 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psalm 114 (Bruckner)</span>

Bruckner's Psalm 114, WAB 36, is a psalm setting of verses 1 to 9 of a German version of Psalm 116, which is Psalm 114 in the Vulgata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psalm 112 (Bruckner)</span>

Bruckner's Psalm 112, WAB 35, is a psalm setting for eight-part double mixed choir and full orchestra. It is a setting of a German version of Psalm 113, which is Psalm 112 in the Vulgata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass No. 1 (Bruckner)</span>

The Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 by Anton Bruckner, is a setting of the Mass ordinary for soloists, mixed choir and orchestra, and organ.

<i>Ecce sacerdos magnus</i> (Bruckner) 1885 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Ecce sacerdos magnus, WAB 13, is an 1885 sacred motet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. It is a musical setting of the antiphon of the same title.

<i>Virga Jesse</i> (Bruckner) 1885 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Virga Jesse, WAB 52, is a motet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. It sets the gradual Virga Jesse floruit for unaccompanied mixed choir.

<i>Vexilla regis</i> (Bruckner) 1892 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Vexilla regis, WAB 51, is the final motet written by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner.

<i>Locus iste</i> (Bruckner) 1869 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Locus iste, WAB 23, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1869. The text is the Latin gradual Locus iste for the annual celebration of a church's dedication. The incipit, Locus iste a Deo factus est, translates to "This place was made by God". Bruckner set it for four unaccompanied voices, intended for the dedication of the Votivkapelle at the New Cathedral in Linz, Austria, where Bruckner had been a cathedral organist. It was the first motet that Bruckner composed in Vienna. It was published in 1886, together with three other gradual motets.

<i>Ave Maria</i> (Bruckner) 1861 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Ave Maria, WAB 6, is a sacred motet by Anton Bruckner, a setting of the Latin prayer Ave Maria. He composed it in Linz in 1861 and scored the short work in F major for seven unaccompanied voices. The piece, sometimes named an Offertorium, was published in Vienna in 1867. Before, Bruckner composed the same prayer in 1856 for soprano, alto, a four-part mixed choir, organ and cello, WAB 5. Later, he set the text in 1882 for a solo voice (alto) and keyboard, WAB 7.

<i>Christus factus est</i>, WAB 11 1884 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Christus factus est, WAB 11, is a sacred motet by Anton Bruckner, his third setting of the Latin gradual Christus factus est, composed in 1884. Before, Bruckner composed in 1844 a first piece on the same text as gradual of the Messe für den Gründonnerstag, and in 1873 a motet for eight-part mixed choir, three trombones, and string instruments ad libitum. The motet is an expressive setting of the gradual, influenced by Wagner's music.

<i>Os justi</i> (Bruckner) 1879 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Os justi, WAB 30, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1879. Os Justi is a Gregorian chant used as gradual of the Commune Doctorum, and as introit I and gradual II of the Commune Confessoris non Pontificis.

<i>Libera me</i>, WAB 21 1843 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Libera me, WAB 21, is the first of two settings of the absoute Libera me, composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1843.

<i>Libera me</i>, WAB 22 1854 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Libera me, WAB 22, is the second of two settings of the absoute Libera me, composed by Anton Bruckner in 1854.

Two <i>Aequali</i> (Bruckner) 1847 works composed by Anton Bruckner

The Two Aequali, WAB 114 & WAB 149, were composed by Anton Bruckner in 1847.

<i>Salvum fac populum tuum</i>, WAB 40 1884 motet composed by Anton Bruckner

Salvum fac populum tuum, WAB 40, is a motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1884.

References

  1. ↑ "David McKie: Sing if you're winning". The Guardian . 21 March 2002. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "Vokalmusik / Vocal and choral works | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Requiem d-Moll, WAB 39 (1849) | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Messe Nr. 2 e-Moll, WAB 27 (1866, 1882) | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Psalm 114 (116) G-Dur, WAB 36 (1852) "Alleluja! Liebe erfüllt mich" | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Psalm 112 B-Dur (WAB 35) 1863 "Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn, ihr Diener" | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Messe Nr. 1 d-Moll, WAB 26 (1864) | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Messe Nr. 3 f-Moll (WAB 28) 1868 | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Zwei Aequale c-Moll für 3 Posaunen, WAB 114 + 149 (1847) | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Libera me f-Moll, WAB 22 (1854) | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Te Deum C-Dur, WAB 45 | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Psalm 150 C-Dur, WAB 38 (1892) "Halleluja! Lobet den Herrn in seinem Heiligtum" | Diskografie von Anton Bruckner". Abruckner.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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