Mediterranean Pop Mass
Navona, 2022
9/10
Listen to Mediterranean Pop Mass
The colorful composer Tonči Huljić brings along the Mediterranean Choir & Orchestra for these rich compositions that are full of Western melodies and precise textures.
“Kyrie Eleison” starts the listen with meticulous strings that points towards Eastern influences in the cultured, warm climate that welcomes Hana Huljić’s stirring voice, and “Gloria” follows with much emphasis on booming percussion and soaring vocal harmonies amid the thundering, cinematic landscape.
In the middle, “Sanctus/Benedictus” emits a dreamy quality alongside a meditative, orchestral backdrop, while “Agnus Dei” uses flutes, percussion and group vocals to its advantage.
“Dies Irae” and “Ave Maria” exit the listen, where the former showcases frisky strings and strong attention to mood, and the latter finishes with gorgeous singing that’s poetic and emotive, and the music is quite absorbing, diverse and memorable, too.
A body of work that touches on classical ideas but is still very modern, the choir, orchestral and groove oriented gestures present sure do make every track here worth repeated listens.
Travels well with: Carl Vollrath- Old & New Poetry Vol. II; Ilja Hurník- Gratias