The Roger Wagner Chorale-Folk Songs of the Old World Vol 2

DSCN4519This was $2.40.  I should have probably read the back cover a bit before buying it.  I saw Folk Music of Europe and just went with it.bio-wagner-roger

Roger Wagner was born in Le Puy, France in 1914.  He died in Dijon, France in 1992.  In between, he went to America, where he directed the MGM chorus, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Robert Wagner Chorale.  During his career, he was decorated with many awards and honors.

The Roger Wagner Chorale’s Web Page

Interestingly enough, the directorship of the Chorale was assumed by Wagner’s daughter, Jeannine in 1992.roger_wagner_at_piano_with_lamc_members_circa_1965

This album is a collection of vocal chorale songs from various countries in Western Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Holland.  The inclusion of songs from Scandinavia is what drew me to this originally.  As sated above, I saw folk music and just went with the album expecting something a bit different.  If I would have read the back cover, I would have known that this was going to be a collection of vocal works.  I guess I was expecting more instrumentation.  I can hardly fault this record for my lack of reading.  DSCN4520

That being said, the songs are ok.  I mean the album delivers what it promises, technically superior vocal chorus interpreting folk songs of yore.  I do really like the diversity of countries represented on this album.Wagner-w-singers4web

For a sample, I decided to go with a few numbers from different places.  First is “Ayer Te He Visto” ( I Saw You Yesterday), a love song from Spain.  Second, is “Rosa” a children’s skipping song form Holland.  The accordion in the track is one of the few examples of prominent instrumentation on the album.  Finally, mainly in part because I got some hits two days ago from Denmark, here is the Danish “Gaaer Jeg Udi Skoven”(I Wander Thru the Woodlands).  According to the back cover, Danish folk songs are rooted in the noble classes of the middle ages.  This song speaks of the Danish love of the outdoors.roger_wagner_recording

It is a bit unfair to shoot this record down because I did not read before I bought, but I am doing just that.  This album is meh to me.