Ars Nova Copenhagen New music

Paul Hillier, the venturesome director of (among other things) the Danish chorus Ars Nova Copenhagen, provides a personal guide through the recent works on this lovely new release. But in truth, you don’t need his written testimony — the connection that he and the ensemble feel to the music is unmistakable in both the singing, which is vivid and sensuous, and in the curating that’s gone into the project. The ten choral pieces come largely from the world of minimalism and post-minimalism, but within that purview they cover a wide range, from the cool, process-based expressiveness of David Lang to the jazzy Beat-infused spirit of Terry Riley. Louis Andriessen is represented by a gorgeous quasi-madrigal, Michael Gordon offers a series of vertigo-inducing choral glissandi, and Steve Reich’s landmark “Clapping Music” appears in Hillier’s deft choral arrangement. And that only scratches the surface of a disc that is full of delights and surprises. — Joshua Kosman