Haydn: Heiligmesse & Nikolaimesse

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With the possible exception of the wonderfully tempestuous Nelson Mass, Haydn's masses have never achieved the popularity of his London symphonies or the large-scale oratorios, The Seasons and The Creation, although most of them date from the same period--the late 1790s and early 1800s--that witnessed an extraordinary late flowering of the composer's fecund genius. Their comparative unfamiliarity seems doubly unaccountable when the listener is presented with such ravishing, technically accomplished and exhilarating performances as those of Richard Hickox, his superb team of soloists, and the period-instrument ensemble Collegium Musicum 90. This disc, the sixth and last in Hickox's survey of the later masses for Chandos, presents two "nameday" masses: the Heiligmesse from 1796, written for the nameday of Princess Marie Hermenegild, and the much earlier Nikolaimesse of 1772, composed in honor of his employer, Nicolaus, Prince Esterházy. The choir gets the lion's share of the work in the Heiligmesse, but the stalwart team of soloists--Lorna Anderson, Pamela Helen Stephen, Mark Padmore, and Stephen Varcoe--have opportunity enough to demonstrate once again their sympathy with Haydn's vocal textures, as they have done throughout the series. Critical plaudits have been showered on previous volumes, and there's no reason not to follow suit here. With advocacy like this, it surely won't be long before these radiant, tuneful, and uplifting works will become as well known and as much-loved as they should always have been. --Mark Walker

Tracks:

Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Vivaldi
Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart
And Then Shall Your Light Break - Mendelssohn
If Ye Love Me - Tallis
Hallelujah - Beethoven
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
The Heavens Are Telling - Haydn
Panis Angelicus - Franck
Magnificat - J.S. Bach
Ave Verum Corpus - Byrd
How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place - Brahms
Miserere Mie, Deus - Allegri
Hallelujah, Amen - Handel
How Lovely Are The Messengers - Mendelssohn
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Handel
Lacrimosa - Mozart
Laudate Dominum - Mozart
Hallelujah Chorus - Handel

Tracks:

Zadok The Priest - Handel
Sanctus - Gounod
He, Watching Over Israel - Mendelssohn
O, Sacred Head, Sore Wounded - J.S. Bach
Thine Be The Glory - Handel
Ave Maria - Rachmaninov
Gloria - Haydn
God So Loved The World - Stainder
Rejoice In The Lord Always - Purcell
I Was Glad - Parry
O Taste And See - Vaughan Williams
O Clap Your Hands - Vaughan Williams
Song For Athene - Tavener
The Old Hundredth - Vaughan Williams
Thou Knowest, Lord - Purcell
Ode To Joy - Beethoven
A Gaelic Blessing - Rutter

Average customer rating:

the grand experience wears thin
In response to previous reviewer...
Haydn for the new millennium

Haydn: 6 Great Masses

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Haydn: Die Schöpfung (The Creation) / Gardiner, The English Baroque Soloists
Haydn: The Seasons
Haydn: The "Sturm und Drang" Symphonies
Beethoven - Missa Solemnis / Margiono * Robbin * Kendall * Miles * EBS * Gardiner
Mozart: Zaide

ASIN: B0000C41W5
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Customer Reviews:

the grand experience wears thin.......2006-06-22

I've listened to these particular performances of Haydns masses many times, at first I loved it. The masses sound grand and while it's fun at first it gets old. Many of the masses just sound the same, grand with trumpets, drums, yelling and lots of energy. There is not very many beautiful moments that you hear in other masses by other composers. Also, there is just too many weird surprises and changes in the music, one moment it will sound beautiful then there is a sudden change and it sounds grand and you lose the beatiful melody forever. I don't think it's the performers fault but the composers. I have other performances of music by Gardiner and they're good. I guess you will enjoy this better if you just take it one mass at a time, too much will just wear you out.

If you're just looking for lots of energy and a grand experiance you will like this. If you want something beautiful stay away, you're better off just buying a couple of the masses. Now you have another opinion.

In response to previous reviewer..........2006-03-26

Your ideas concerning the pronunciation of the latin refer to the German pronunciation of the text. Gardiner chose to utilize the Italianate pronunciation, which is certainly not "incorrect." The Italianate pronunciation is typically used in the Roman Catholic Mass, and these are most certainly Masses. Just wanted to clear that up.
In terms of the recording, I too shared some reservations, as I've been enamoured with Gardiner's rendition of the Verdi Requiem (though I think Abbado, on EMI, is more intense, and his soloists are superb), and extremely disappointed with his "performance" of Bach's St. Matthew Passion (that one seemed like he really had to use the bathroom, and wanted to wrap things up ASAP). However, this is quite a fine recording. The soloists are excellent, tempi are nice and brisk (though not rushed, as has often been the case in other Gardiner recordings), and it's great to have these six wonderful Masses together in one set. Though Bach's B minor Mass is THE supreme liturgical work, these Haydn creations are nothing short of extraordinary.

Haydn for the new millennium.......2004-11-18

I am not an unabashed supporter of John Gardiner and his period style with choral music from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. I enjoyed his versions of the Beethoven "Missa Solemnis" and Verdi "Requiem Mass" but did not enjoy his traversal of the Bach cantatas or Haydn's "Creation". This split decision left me wondering if purchasing this set would be wise.

Turns out it was very wise, indeed, for these are startlingly good performances of Haydn's "Big Six" masses -- the Harmony, Helig, Nelson, Creation, Theresa and Pauken (or kettledrum) masses. In these three disks, Gardiner, a group of now well-known soloists, the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists acquit themselves well across the board.

There is no mention in the notes or on the sleeve whether or not the soloists use period inmstruments. The strings sound good, not wiry as is often the case with period instruments. The singers consistently use vibrato.

The English notes to this set describe the history of creation of each mass and describe their musical progressions. There are no notes about the performers and arty pictures of Gardiner grace the front panel of cover of the booklet.

I think it is reasonable to call this a new millennium update of the famous Decca-London set from the 1960s by performers including Simon Preston and George Guest. Spiritually, the newer set is a natural upgrade informed by period style -- if not always performed in same -- and produced in 21st century DDD sound. The singers and orchestral members all perform wonderfully and Gardiner's direction is always appropriate with that little bit of reserve always apparent that separates the temperament of Haydn from that of Beethoven.

While there is no question this is a five star offering, I nevertheless have a few minor quibbles with it. The recordings are tastefully produced in modern natural style, which places the singers and chorus equidistant. I would have appreciated a bit more forward placement for the singers.

In addition, I would argue that the pronunciation of the Latin words suscipe and excelsis are incorrect. There are several ways to say suscipe and Gardiner apparently has chosen su-she-pay. I would argue su-see-pay is correct. The choristers and solosits regularly say eck-shell-sis instead of the correct eck-sell-sis, also. Finally, I would have appreciated a bit more embellishment of the timpani in the closing pages of the "kettledrum" mass. It is, after all, named after the instrument!

But these are minor reservations in a set that has all the qualities to be a classic for this age and hold steadfast in the top rung of Haydn masses for another quarter-century. Compared to the version I have heard by Richard Hickox, I would say this set is clearly superior in all ways. I heartily recommend this nicely-priced three disk set to anyone that wants to discover -- or rediscover -- the glories of Haydn's late masses.

Average customer rating:

warmly recommended

Haydn: Heiligmesse; Paukenmesse

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Haydn: Nelsonmesse; Theresienmesse
Schöpfungsmesse and Harmoniemesse
Beethoven: Mass in C; Elegiac Song; Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage
R. Strauss: Elektra
Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Bartok: Cantata profanna/Vaughan Williams: Dona nobis pacem

ASIN: B00008HCF0
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus Credo
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Sanctus
Benedictus Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem
Kyrie Gloria
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus Credo
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Sanctus
Benedictus Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem
Insanae Et Vanae Curae

Amazon.com

This pairing of the Heiligmesse and the Paukenmesse, both composed in 1796, is a fine idea. The Paukenmesse, also known as the "Mass in Time of War" was composed when the Napoleonic War was at its peak; Haydn's wild use of tympani in the Agnus Dei movement and the trumpets and drums elsewhere are a sort-of Viennese answer to the menace. The Heiligmesse also has some martial qualities (its Agnus Dei has great majesty), but it is more soulful and somehow simpler, particularly in its solo vocal writing. Both are wonderfully symphonic. Gardiner and his period-instrument band, soloists, and chorus approach both works head on, with great energy and ideal voice-instrument balance. The drama is present, but so is the piety; the introspective moments of the Heiligmesse's Gloria are given their due, even with the movement's inevitable forward propulsion. Tempi seem just right throughout. These are the versions of these masses which should be in your collection. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

warmly recommended.......2006-07-11

First, the bad news. Heiligmesse is the weak link of this album. While certainly written to a high standard of craftsmanship, it's just one big chorus after another (save two or three movements that feature what is essentially an SSATBB chamber choir: not all that much of a contrast, in other words). Haydn wrote the Heiligmesse after his first residency at London, where he was introduced to the Handel oratorios. Haydn learned a good deal from studying Handel's masterful choral writing, and again, the Heiligmesse's choruses are excellent; but JUST choruses becomes rather monotonous. The texture, orchestration, and mood remain constant and unvaried throughout.

The good news, then, is that despite not measuring up to the other works here the Heiligmesse is still worth being acquainted with, and the Paukenmesse and the motet, "Insanae et Vanae Curae," are masterworks. Paukenmesse deserves comparison to the Mozart C minor Mass of 1781; it's that good. It contains majestic choruses as in the Heiligmesse, along with dynamic orchestral writing and intimate, moving arias. And the motet, "Insanae et Vanae Curae," a lesser-known rarity, has a tragic dramatic impact the equivalent of Mozart's D-minor piano concerto or even, perhaps, passages of Don Giovanni.

As for the performances, they are above criticism. Gardiner seems never to miss! He will be remembered as perhaps THE great conductor of his generation.

Haydn: Heiligmesse; Nelsonmesse; Kleine Orgelsolomesse; Theresienmesse

Average customer rating:

Haydn's MASS Appeal

Haydn: Heiligmesse; Nelsonmesse; Kleine Orgelsolomesse; Theresienmesse

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst and other choral works

ASIN: B0007RO58E
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

Kyrie: Gloria
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Et Vitam Venturi Saeculi
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem
Kyrie - Carolyn Watkinson
Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Carolyn Watkinson
Qui Tollis - Carolyn Watkinson
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus - Carolyn Watkinson
Credo In Unum Deum - Carolyn Watkinson
Et Incarnatus Est - Carolyn Watkinson
Et Resurrexit - Carolyn Watkinson
Sanctus - Carolyn Watkinson
Benedictus - Carolyn Watkinson
Osanna - Carolyn Watkinson
Agnus Dei - Carolyn Watkinson
Dona Nobis Pacem - Carolyn Watkinson

Tracks:

Kyrie - Barbara Hendricks
Gloria - Barbara Hendricks
Credo - Barbara Hendricks
Sanctus - Barbara Hendricks
Benedictus - Barbara Hendricks
Agnus Dei - Barbara Hendricks
Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem

Customer Reviews:

Haydn's MASS Appeal.......2006-03-09

The great Franz Joseph Haydn remains unquestionably one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, having laid down the template for the forms of the string quartet, and perfecting the symphonic form a hundred and four times over. But "Papa" Haydn also was prolific in the area of sacred music, composing two great oratorios ("The Seasons"; "The Creation"), and a staggering fourteen settings of the Latin Mass.

Four of those settings of the Mass are to be found on this 2-CD compilation of recordings made back in the 1980s by Sir Neville Marriner and the Dresden State Orchestra (Staatskapelle Dresden), along with a cadre of vocal soloists, organist Hansjurgen Schloze, and the Leipzig Radio Chorus. The "Little Organ" (no. 7), "Heiligmesse" (no. 10), "Lord Nelson" (no. 11), and "Theresiemesse" (no. 12), are all given impassioned and towering performances, especially given the fact the size of the orchestra is not much larger than that of the composer's symphonies (no trombones; mostly strings, timpani, and trumpets), other than the obvious addition of the organ.

Barbara Hendricks is the vocal soloist in no. 7, while Carol Vaness (soprano), Doris Soffel (contralto), Keith Lewis (tenor), and Petteri Salomaa (bass) are the soloists for nos. 10 and 12, and Margaret Marshall (soprano), Carolyn Watkinson (contralto), and Robert Holl (bass) join Lewis on no. 12. Marriner, the great founder of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the first music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, leads the Dresdeners, their Leipzig colleagues, and this assembly of great vocalists through some of the greatest sacred music ever written. This 2-CD set is strongly recommended for any classical fan, especially if choral and/or sacred music is their favorite classical genre.

Average customer rating:

Great Stuff !!
Broad and solid

Haydn: Masses
Franz Joseph Haydn , Neville Marriner , Barbara Hendricks , Carol Vaness , Keith Lewis , Petteri Salomaa , Margaret Marshall , Carolyn Watkinson , Robert Holl , Doris Soffel , Dagmar Schellenberger , Rundfunkchor Leipzig , Staatskapelle Dresden , Hermann-Christian Polster , and Hans Jürgen Scholze
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002SCJ
Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Et Vitam Venturi Saeculi
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem
Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis
Qui Tollis
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Sanctus
Benedictus
Osanna
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem

Tracks:

Kyrie
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Kyrie
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est
Et Resurrexit
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem

Customer Reviews:

Great Stuff !!.......2002-02-12

Neville Marriner has been criticised for his fast tempi but I think his conducting of these four Haydn masses is very good indeed. It has great energy and sense of purpose. The singing is also very good here. I especially like Robert Holl's solid and full basso in the Nelson Mass. You can pay a lot more and get a lot less.

Broad and solid.......2000-09-21

One of my first experiences with classical music concerts was a performance of Haydn's "Creation" conducted by Neville Marriner. From this concert I had the impression that Marriner has a faible for rather fast tempi - as far as classical choral works are concerned, but I have to revise this opinion.

Sure, in this collection of four masses by Haydn there are also some speedy movements, and often the interpretation feels "right" concerning the speed and rhythm. I have the impression that this is especially valid for the first two featured masses (Heiligmesse, Nelsonmesse) where I have no comparison to other recordings or notes. The second pair of masses (Kleine Orgelsolomesse, Theresienmesse) are played often in very broad tempi (e.g. the Kyrie in the Orgelsolomesse) that make it sometimes difficult to follow the flow of the music.

Tracks:

Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Kyrie
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Gratias Agimus Tibi
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Credo in unum Deum
Mass In B Flat Major : B-Dur: Et incarnatus est
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Et resurrexit
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Et vitam venturi saeculi
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Sanctus
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Benedictus
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Agnus Dei
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Dona nobis pacem
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Kyrie
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Gloria in excelsis Deo
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Quoniam tu solus sanctus
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Credo in unum Deum
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Et incarnatus est
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Et resurrexit
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Sanctus
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Pleniu sunt coeli
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Benedictus
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Agnus Dei
Mass In B Flat Major - Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida: Dona nobis pacem

Amazon.com

With the possible exception of the wonderfully tempestuous Nelson Mass, Haydn's masses have never achieved the popularity of his London symphonies or the large-scale oratorios, The Seasons and The Creation, although most of them date from the same period--the late 1790s and early 1800s--that witnessed an extraordinary late flowering of the composer's fecund genius. Their comparative unfamiliarity seems doubly unaccountable when the listener is presented with such ravishing, technically accomplished and exhilarating performances as those of Richard Hickox, his superb team of soloists, and the period-instrument ensemble Collegium Musicum 90. This disc, the sixth and last in Hickox's survey of the later masses for Chandos, presents two "nameday" masses: the Heiligmesse from 1796, written for the nameday of Princess Marie Hermenegild, and the much earlier Nikolaimesse of 1772, composed in honor of his employer, Nicolaus, Prince Esterházy. The choir gets the lion's share of the work in the Heiligmesse, but the stalwart team of soloists--Lorna Anderson, Pamela Helen Stephen, Mark Padmore, and Stephen Varcoe--have opportunity enough to demonstrate once again their sympathy with Haydn's vocal textures, as they have done throughout the series. Critical plaudits have been showered on previous volumes, and there's no reason not to follow suit here. With advocacy like this, it surely won't be long before these radiant, tuneful, and uplifting works will become as well known and as much-loved as they should always have been. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

Good Heilig,but great Nikolai.......2000-07-23

Here is another quality entry in Richard Hickox's survey of Haydn's gorgeous canon of masses.I must confess I bought it primarily for the "Heiligmesse",which has always been one of my favourites of the astonishing "late" (thank God Haydn didn't suffer an early death like Mozart.If he had,civilisation would have been deprived of some of the most glorious music ever conceived by man) masses.

I was introduced to this masterpiece in the early 1990's,when the superlative performances of the mighty six late masses were reissued by Decca,and been relatively new to classical music,I was completely blown away by the absolutely seamless symbiosis of the liturgy and the symphony.By the way,if anyone reading this review of mine,is at the same embryonic stage in their musical evolution,as I was back then,don't be fooled by most of the critical overviews and beginner's guides to the genre,into thinking that the "Nelson" mass is the only one of Haydn's output worth collecting.It is of course excellent (especially under Trevor Pinnock and the worthy rival by our friends under discussion here),but of Haydn's 14 settings of the ordinary,nearly all are "must have" music,and some will have you kicking yourself that so much of your life has been wasted without having them in your possession.Oh,and while I'm on my hobby-horse-so to speak-as soon as you've ordered all the afore-mentioned,as I'm sure you will,thanks to my sage advice(!),do yourself an enormous favour,and at the same time pick up Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" (preferably under John Eliot Gardiner),and also his "Mass in C" (Guest).Believe me,you'll want to thank me for it later.

Anyway,back to the matter at hand.On this CD the Heiligmesse receives a lovely,warm and deeply felt reading,with some wonderfully poised and integrated work by the outstanding soloists.Yet when it comes to that aural jewel,the "Benedictus",I don't feel that the forces here recapture the sheer spine-tingling ecstasy that George Guest managed to draw from his nonpareil Choir of St.John's College,Cambridge,and the excellent musicians under his wing.There is a frisson in that performance that seems to defy space and time,and for me at any rate it ranks as one of the most sublime moments in all music.And that interpretation as a cohesive entity,has a freshness and simply joyful impetus about it,that I find it hard to imagine it ever been bettered.

When it comes to the "Nikolaimesse",I had in mind the earlier performances under Preston and Pinnock,respectively.Both are excellent in their own way,and are well worth your time in tracking them down.But the performance on this disc must stand head and shoulders above anything that has come before it.From the bitter-sweet,plangent,burnished tones of the delightful little "Kyrie",to it's mirror-image in the concluding "Dona nobis pacem",it is a heart-rending sojourn through the ordinary of the mass.And quite honestly,if I ever hear anything in life again as stunningly beautiful as the interweaving of the solo voices in the "Et incarnatus" and "Crucifixus" sections of the Credo,I will count myself extremely fortunate indeed.That final annunciation of "pro nobis" by the baritone Stephen Varcoe is quite simply hair-raising !

So,all-in-all,if you have found yourself vacillating over buying this CD,because I haven't given it the full compliment of 5 stars in my rating;well don't hesitate a second longer,buy it immediately for a thoroughly enjoyable main item,but ESPECIALLY for the magic that is wrought upon us in the spell-binding "Missa Sancti Nicolai".It could,I'm sure melt the hardest of hearts,and quite possibly in that particular section of the Credo "bring a tear to a glass eye".

Good Heiligmesse and great St.Nicholas mass.......2000-06-16

Another very tempting coupling in Richard Hickox's brilliant new survey of Haydn's gorgeous masses.I bought it principally for the "Heiligmesse",which is one of the last six miraculous settings he produced in his "declining" years.All I can say is,thank God Haydn didn't suffer an early death like Mozart,because the world would have been deprived of some of the most exquisite music ever gifted to mankind. Anyway,the Heiligmesse has always been close to my heart,not least because of the Benedictus,which features some of his most serene writing,and builds to a heavenly climax which my powers of description would fail miserably in trying to convey the sheer spine-tingling,soul-wrenching,exultant joy of the piece.Only by hearing it yourself will you understand why words fail me when faced with such overwhelming beauty. The performance of it as given on this CD does fulfil most of my expectations,but I still feel that the reading under George Guest,with his matchless choir of St.John's college,Cambridge has the edge with that elusive frisson,that again I find difficult to define in mere words.It's one of these rare moments when everything just falls into place and magic is worked upon us. The other sections of the mass gave me no cause for complaint,and indeed the way the soloists blend in the brilliant "Et incarnatus" and the heart-breaking journey to the "et sepultus est" is unmatched on record in my humble opinion. So,if I've caused you to waver in deciding whether to buy this disc or not:don't worry-buy it for all the previously mentioned qualities of the main item,but ESPECIALLY for the St.Nicholas mass,which is superbly realised here.From the bitter-sweet plangent strains of the Kyrie to it's musical mirror image in the concluding Dona nobis pacem;it's a fantastic little journey through the liturgy.And just like it's big brother,has an Et incarnatus and crucifixus of sublime perfection. To conclude then:go to George Guest et al for the Heiligmesse first and foremost,and then snap up this recording for a St.Nicholas mass that would "bring a tear to a glass eye" and soften the hardest of hearts.

Joseph Haydn: Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida "Heiligmesse"

Average customer rating:

Masterly Choral Works at a Bargain Price

Joseph Haydn: Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida "Heiligmesse"

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Te Deum | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000002APK
Release Date: 1995-10-31

Tracks:

Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida, Hob. XXII: 10 'Heiligmesse': Kyrie
Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida, Hob. XXII: 10 'Heiligmesse': Gloria
Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida, Hob. XXII: 10 'Heiligmesse': Credo
Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida, Hob. XXII: 10 'Heiligmesse': Sanctus
Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida, Hob. XXII: 10 'Heiligmesse': Benedictus
Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida, Hob. XXII: 10 'Heiligmesse': Agnus Dei
Mare Clausum, Hob. XXIVa: 9 (Fragment): Aria: 'Nor Can I Think My Suit Is Vain'
Mare Clausum, Hob. XXIVa: 9 (Fragment): Chorus: 'Thy Great Endeavors'
Motetto 'Insanae et vanae curae', Hob. XXI: 1 No.13c
Motetti de Venerabili Sacramento, Hob. XXIIIc: 5 a-d: 'Lauda Scion'
Motetti de Venerabili Sacramento, Hob. XXIIIc: 5 a-d: 'Ecce panis'
Motetti de Venerabili Sacramento, Hob. XXIIIc: 5 a-d: 'In figuris'
Motetti de Venerabili Sacramento, Hob. XXIIIc: 5 a-d: 'Bone pastor'
Te Deum For The Empress Marie Therese, Hob. XXIIIc: 2

Amazon.com

Haydn's last six Masses were all composed to celebrate the name day of his patron's wife, the Princess Esterhazy. They represented a revolution in the application of symphonic principles to choral composition. Instead of writing individual "numbers"--arias, duets, and choruses--Haydn treated each section of the Mass as a unified single movement, as in a symphony, grouping them in such a way as to present a dramatic contrast. They are tremendously grateful both to play and to sing. Bruno Weil's authentic instrument performances are vivacious and exciting, and this disc also contains the magnificent "Te Deum" from 1800--a terrific short piece with a killer tune at the beginning. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Masterly Choral Works at a Bargain Price.......2002-07-31

Lovers of Haydn's great choral music can rejoice in the fact that Sony has reduced the price of Weil's generously filled CDs featuring the masses. Here we have the Heiligmesse ("Holy Mass," not a very descriptive title), one of the six great, late masses of Haydn; in the Classical era, only Beethoven's Missa Solemnis matches Haydn's achievement in these works. Compared with the better-known Paukenmesse and Nielsenmesse, works that reflect Haydn's agitation over Napoleon's actions against Austria and her allies, the Heiligmesse is a sunny work, but one bustling with energy and brimful of arresting choral and instrumental writing, not to mention melodies!

Weil also includes some pleasant Haydn rareties, the late Mare Clausum and the very early Motetti de Venerabili Sacramento, and the more potent Insanae et vanae curae and Te Deum, the last a genuine masterwork. If you don't know the Te Deum, it is Haydn at his most potent; the end with its insistent repetitions of "non confundar in eternum" sound like a command to God, capped as it is by a blazing cadence dominated by trumpets and drums. Wonderful stuff!

In the Te Deum, Weil comes into competition with Pinnock on Archiv, whose disc also includes a wonderful performance of the Nelsonmesse. Both performances have their strengths, and it's hard to choose between them, but I think Weil's recording is a little more natural. Certainly in the Heiligmesse and the other pieces, though, I find Weil very compelling. His orchestra is first rate, the Tolz Boys' Choir sings with both beauty and feeling, and Weil keeps the excitement levels high.

Tracks:

Missa 'Rorate coeli desuper' - H XXXII 3: Kyrie - Gloria - Credo - Sanctus - Benedictus - Agnus Dei
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Kyrie - Kyrie eleison
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Kyrie - Christe eleison
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Kyrie - Kyrie eleison
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Laudamus te
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Gratias agimus
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Domine Deus
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Qui tollis
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Quoniam
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Gloria - Cum Sancto Spiritu - Credo
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Credo - Credo in unum Deum
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Credo - Et incarnatus est
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Credo - Crucifixus
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Credo - Et resurrexit
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Credo - Sanctus
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Credo - Benedictus
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Agnus Dei - Agnus Dei
Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae - Missa Sanctae Caeciliae - Cacilenmesse, HXXII 5: Agnus Dei - Dona nobis pacem

Tracks:

Missa brevis in F - H XXII 1: Kyrie
Missa brevis in F - H XXII 1: Gloria
Missa brevis in F - H XXII 1: Credo
Missa brevis in F - H XXII 1: Sanctus
Missa brevis in F - H XXII 1: Benedictus
Missa brevis in F - H XXII 1: Agnus Dei
Schopfungsmesse - Creation Mass, H XXII 13: Kyrie
Schopfungsmesse - Creation Mass, H XXII 13: Gloria
Schopfungsmesse - Creation Mass, H XXII 13: Credo
Schopfungsmesse - Creation Mass, H XXII 13: Sanctus
Schopfungsmesse - Creation Mass, H XXII 13: Benedictus
Schopfungsmesse - Creation Mass, H XXII 13: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: Kyrie
Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: Gloria
Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: Credo
Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: Sanctus
Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: Benedictus
Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: Agnus Dei
Heiligmesse: Kyrie
Heiligmesse: Heiligmesse - 2 Gloria
Heiligmesse: Heiligmesse - 3 Credo
Heiligmesse: Heiligmesse - 4 Sanctus
Heiligmesse: Heiligmesse - 5 Benedictus
Heiligmesse: Heiligmesse - 6 Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa Sancti Nicolai - H XXII 6: Kyrie
Missa Sancti Nicolai - H XXII 6: Gloria
Missa Sancti Nicolai - H XXII 6: Credo
Missa Sancti Nicolai - H XXII 6: Sanctus
Missa Sancti Nicolai - H XXII 6: Benedictus
Missa Sancti Nicolai - H XXII 6: Agnus Dei
Theresienmesse - H XXII 12: Kyrie
Theresienmesse - H XXII 12: Gloria
Theresienmesse - H XXII 12: Credo
Theresienmesse - H XXII 12: Sanctus
Theresienmesse - H XXII 12: Benedictus
Theresienmesse - H XXII 12: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo - Kleine Orgelmesse - H XXII 7: Kyrie - J. Haydn
Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo - Kleine Orgelmesse - H XXII 7: Gloria - J. Haydn
Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo - Kleine Orgelmesse - H XXII 7: Credo - J. Haydn
Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo - Kleine Orgelmesse - H XXII 7: Sanctus - J. Haydn
Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo - Kleine Orgelmesse - H XXII 7: Benedictus - J. Haydn
Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo - Kleine Orgelmesse - H XXII 7: Agnus Dei - J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse - H XXII 14: Kyrie - J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse - H XXII 14: Gloria - J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse - H XXII 14: Credo - J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse - H XXII 14: Sanctus - J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse - H XXII 14: Benedictus - J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse - H XXII 14: Agnus Dei - J. Haydn

Tracks:

Missa Cellensis - Mariazeller Messe, H XXII 8: Kyrie
Missa Cellensis - Mariazeller Messe, H XXII 8: Gloria
Missa Cellensis - Mariazeller Messe, H XXII 8: Credo
Missa Cellensis - Mariazeller Messe, H XXII 8: Sanctus
Missa Cellensis - Mariazeller Messe, H XXII 8: Benedictus
Missa Cellensis - Mariazeller Messe, H XXII 8: Agnus Dei
Missa in tempore belli - Paukenmesse, H XXII 9: Kyrie
Missa in tempore belli - Paukenmesse, H XXII 9: Missa in tempore belli - 2 Gloria
Missa in tempore belli - Paukenmesse, H XXII 9: Credo
Missa in tempore belli - Paukenmesse, H XXII 9: Sanctus
Missa in tempore belli - Paukenmesse, H XXII 9: Benedictus
Missa in tempore belli - Paukenmesse, H XXII 9: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa in angustiis: Kyrie
Missa in angustiis: Gloria - Gloria in excelsis Deo
Missa in angustiis: Gloria - Qui tollis peccata mundi
Missa in angustiis: Gloria - Quoniam tu solus sanctus
Missa in angustiis: Credo - Credo in unum Deum
Missa in angustiis: Credo - Et incarnatus est
Missa in angustiis: Credo - Et resurrexit
Missa in angustiis: Sanctus
Missa in angustiis: Benedictus
Missa in angustiis: Agnus Dei
Missa in angustiis: Agnus Dei - Dona nobis pacem

Customer Reviews:

Thank you, Haydn.......2001-06-01

Like many of the London/Decca box sets, this is an amazingly well-produced effort: By disk 3, the joy and spirit of "Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Marae" and the "Heiligmesse" are literally rocking the cathedral. The power and beauty of "Missa Sancti Nicolai" and "Theresienmesse" continues on disk 4. Unlike other recordings, the organ does not overwhelm, but enhances each work. The artists are superb, and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the Fields doesn't disappoint. Take your pick; there's a favorite piece for everyone.

GLORIA !.......2000-06-11

I'm absolutely astounded to find myself the first person to review this superlative box set.I can only presume that those people who bought it through Amazon,are desperate to keep their newly acquired treasures to themselves,or they have subsequently expired through sheer musical pleasure! I,on the other hand wish to shout it from the rooftops that in this collection you will encounter some of the most joyous,exuberant,heart-rending,soul-easing and heaven-storming music ever conceived by man.

The main problem I'm faced with in this review,is how to communicate,in my amateurish,faltering fashion just what an embarrasment of riches are contained within these seven discs.I would kill for the loquacity and erudition of a musicologist, at this point in time,but my poor reader will simply have to make do with blind enthusiasm instead! To start,I'll pass by the earliest of the masses:however,that's not to say they aren't worth hearing.They contain many fine(if brief) moments of inspiration,and are well worth your time in giving them a run through.But I feel it is in the ST.NICHOLAS mass that Haydn begins to really flex his muscles.It has a sweetly plangent and pastoral feel to it,and from the touching little kyrie (mirrored by the Dona nobis pacem),to the exquisite writing for the soloists in the Crucifixus,it is instantly memorable,and would make a good place to start on your musical journey.Then comes the MARIAZELLER mass,which I feel is the true precursor of the later truly symphonic masses of Haydn's astonishing "Indian summer".Perhaps now and then it doesn't really command the listener's attention entirely as a piece of music,but this performance makes the best case possible for it,and is thoroughly enjoyable.The "LITTLE ORGAN MASS" also demands a little forbearance here and there,but the reward is in getting to the charming Benedictus with it's solo for soprano and organ (hence the name of this mass)Jennifer Smith is in beautiful voice here,and John Scott does the honours for the organ. So,we come to the first of the "big six":The PAUKENMESSE,It's here that Haydn's fusion of the symphony and the liturgy reaches perfect symbiosis,and if anyone reading this is completely new to this music;then let me warn you now,that seldom afterwards will you encounter another experience in life as exciting and fulfilling,as when you first discover these glorious "late" masses of Haydn's.From the very opening bars of the Paukenmesse's Kyrie,you are immediately swept along in the irresistible flood of his inspiration,and some 40 minutes later you are thrown gasping back to dry land by the concluding,brilliantly martial dona nobis pacem.And what beauty was encountered mid-stream!Not least of which is that gorgeous cello and horn accompaniment of the bass in the Qui tollis section of the Gloria.This is where the recording qualities really come to the fore,and apart from one exception,are a real distinction of the series.That exception,I'm afraid to say is the NELSON mass,which to my mind suffered from been recorded away from the auspices of St.John's and George Guest.Don't get me wrong,I'm not criticising the musical forces involved-they are uniformly excellent,but honestly,I really can't live with that wooly,distant soundstage.I'd much rather reach for the outstanding reading under Trevor Pinnock,or the latest worthy rival by Richard Hickox.And that,is basically the only disappointment I wish to register about the whole project. Next we come to the HEILIGMESSE,and here is a mass setting of truly sustained and unalloyed magic.I would single out the Benedictus as a mini-masterpiece in it's own right.It begins with some lovely writing for the strings followed by the most extraordinary rising,rising canon which culminates in a spine-tingling ecstatic climax. The THERESIENMESSE ,I judge to be perhaps my favourite of the six,and I'm only sorry that the 1000 word limit of this review forbids me expounding upon it's glories in full.Suffice to say it features some of Haydn's most perfectly integrated passages for orchestra,soloists and choir,and like the Heiligmesse,has a Benedictus to die for. The SCHOPFUNGSMESSE(sorry German speakers,I couldn't find an umlaut on my keyboard!)doesn't perhaps sustain the terrific brass and timpani driven impetus of the Kyrie and Gloria,but for all that it's still astonishing that Haydn's well of inspiration proves as inexhaustible as ever in this his penultimate mass. And so we come to that ultimate mass:The HARMONIEMESSE.It's ineffably touching that this is Haydn's last major composition,and despite that it feels in no way valedictory,and in no sense do you get the impression that his compositional skills are on the wain.Far from it, in fact it displays all the hallmarks of a master at the height of his powers.It might be revealing, that here the Agnus Dei is the most supplicatory,and prayerful of all his masses,but rest assured, no way is Haydn going out without a fight,and to that end the Dona nobis pacem (grant us peace)I'm quite sure is his way of demanding:"Grant us peace God,or by Heaven I'll come up there myself, and give you a damn good thrashing! ) Haydn used to end the manuscripts of his masses with the words,"Laus Deo" or "Praise God".Yes indeed,but I say praise Haydn immediately afterward,and then all the superb musicians and recording personnel involved in this landmark project.It's a tremendous contribution to civilisation as a whole,and although it may seem a tired old reviewer's cliche to say that if you buy this boxset,it will bring you a lifetime's listening pleasure.Well,take my word for it,this particular boxset WILL.

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