German composer Hans Schanderl (born 1960) has written in many forms, but has made a specialty of choral music. He has also been a student of non-Western musics, particularly those of west and north Africa, and their influence is apparent in many of the pieces collected on this album. Several of the works, such as Mambo Kaluke and Kiris Bara Bari, in their structure and rhythmic patterns could practically be mistaken for music from the folk traditions of west Africa, and Bazar has a strongly Moroccan flavor. Other pieces, such as Lux Aeterna and Te Deum, are clearly the work of a European composer steeped in the harmonic practices of modernism, but who has turned them to accessible, broadly expressive ends. The thread that runs through these stylistically diverse works is the composer's communicative generosity; even in the densest harmonies, there is an expressive directness. Schanderl's inventiveness and mastery of such a variety of idioms make him an intriguing composer and makes this a collection that should be of interest to fans of many styles of new choral music. Polski Chór Kameralny, led by
Jan Lukaszewski, sings with absolute security and conviction, and its tone is warm and vibrant. Carus' sound is lively, clean, and full, with an ideal amount of resonance.