Hans Gál: Music for Voices: Volume 2
Drei Lieder Nach Gedichte von Rilke Op.31 (1928) for womens voices & piano
Drei Gesaenge Op.37 (1929) for mixed choir a capella
Spaetlese Op.91 (1966) for men's voices a capella
Two Madrigals to Poems by Thomas Lodge (1939) for mixed choir a capella
Drei Portraitstudien Op.34 (1929) for men's voices & piano
Songs of Youth Op.75 (1959) for women's voices a capella
Three Lyrics to Poems by Thomas Moore (1942) for mixed voices & piano
Borealis Choir, Ian Buckle (piano), Bridget Budge (conductor), Stephen Muir (conductor)
Toccata Classics 2022
Where to buy or listen
Hans Gál: Music for Voices, Volume 2
Hans Gál • Borealis Choir; Bridget Budge & Stephen Muir (directors); Ian Buckle (piano)
About this release
This second volume of Hans Gál’s choral series offers a vivid cross‑section of his music for chamber choir across four decades. Mixed, women’s and male‑voice ensembles sing a cappella works and pieces with piano accompaniment. Under the direction of Bridget Budge and Stephen Muir with Ian Buckle at the keyboard, the Borealis Choir presents Gál’s lyrical part‑songs, madrigals and cycle settings, ranging from Rilke poems of the 1920s to the autumnal Spätlese written in 1970. The album showcases his gift for choral colour and word‑painting, while evoking the humour, pastoral warmth and wistful nostalgia that pervade his vocal music.
Where to buy or listen
- Toccata Classics product page (CD/download)
- Presto Music (CD/download)
- Listen & download hub (streaming options)
What critics said
This observation comes from John France’s review on MusicWeb International, which praises the witty Drei Porträtstudien and highlights the composer’s skilful word‑painting and playful humour. Read the full review at MusicWeb International.
Further context
Toccata Classics notes that Hans Gál championed choral singing throughout his life, founding and leading choirs in Vienna, Germany and Edinburgh. Volume 2 draws together pieces composed both before his emigration and during his later years in Britain, illustrating the continuity of his melodic style despite upheaval. The Borealis Choir’s idiomatic performances capture the contrast between the youthful exuberance of early works and the reflective tone of later ones.
