Herztöne (Love Songs)

Nineteen love songs in rich arrangements for a cappella vocal sextet may not sustain everyone's interest, but Singer Pur seems determined to hold the listener enthralled with its extremely luscious sound for over an hour on this 2005 release from Oehms. At its best, this German ensemble -- a soprano, three tenors, a baritone, and a bass -- charms with its inventive jazz harmonies and closely knitted counterpoint; and such pop selections as the opening As You Are, Misty, Our Love is Here to Stay, and London By Night are their most immediately appealing numbers. But a melancholy tone dominates this CD, and the sad moods of Londonderry Air, The Three Ravens, the various arrangements of Volkslieder, and the pensive art songs by Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms may reduce one to a state of despondency. Concerned to produce a lovely tone at all times, Singer Pur favors slow, poignant numbers to bring out its opulent sound; yet the group might have included a few upbeat or humorous numbers to make the program easier to take emotionally. (The hidden final track, an outtake, is the only amusing number on this rather somber collection.) The up-close reproduction is excellent and well-suited to Singer Pur's personable and intimate quality. ~ Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide