Missa Solemnis

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
While most certainly NOT by "Papa" Haydn, this recently discovered score by a lesser master will delight many collectors hungry for more choral music from the Mozart/Haydn school. Many details show the powerful influence that Haydn’s masses had upon his contemporaries.

Tracks:

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Allegro - Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Romance. Andante - Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Menuetto. Allegretto - Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K.525: Rondo. Allegro - Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Divertimento in D, K.136: Allegro - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.136: Andante - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.136: Presto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in B Flat, K.137: Allegro Di Molto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in B Flat, K.137: Andante - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in B Flat, K.137: Allegro Assai - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in F, K.138: Allegro - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in F, K.138: Andante - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in F, K.138: Presto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in E Flat, K.113: Allegro - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in E Flat, K.113: Andante - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in E Flat, K.113: Menuetto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in E Flat, K.113: Allegro - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V

Tracks:

Serenata Notturna in D, K.239: Marcia. Maestoso - The Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Peter Wohlert
Serenata Notturna in D, K.239: Menuetto - The Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Peter Wohlert
Serenata Notturna in D, K.239: Rondeau. Allegretto - The Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Peter Wohlert
Divertimento in D, K.131: Allegro - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.131: Adagio - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.131: Menuetto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.131: Allegretto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.131: Menuetto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.131: Adagio- Allegro Molto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.205: Largo-Allegro - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.205: Menuetto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.205: Adagio - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.205: Menuetto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V
Divertimento in D, K.205: Finale. Presto - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V

Tracks:

Symphony No. 34 in C, K.388: Allegro Vivace - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 34 in C, K.388: Andante Di Molto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 34 in C, K.388: Finale. Allegro Vivace - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 35 in D, K.285, Haffner: Allegro Con Spirito - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 35 in D, K.285, Haffner: Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 35 in D, K.285, Haffner: Menuetto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 35 in D, K.285, Haffner: Presto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 36 in C, K.425, Linz: Adagio/Allegro Spiritoso - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 36 in C, K.425, Linz: Poco Adagio - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 36 in C, K.425, Linz: Menuetto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 36 in C, K.425, Linz: Presto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus

Tracks:

Symphony No. 38 in D, K.504, Prague: Adagio/Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 38 in D, K.504, Prague: Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 38 in D, K.504, Prague: Finale. Presto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 39 in E Flat, K.543: Adagio/Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 39 in E Flat, K.543: Andante Con Moto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 39 in E Flat, K.543: Menuetto. Allegretto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 39 in E Flat, K.543: Finale. Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus

Tracks:

Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.550: Molto Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.550: Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.550: Menuetto. Allegretto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.550: Allegro Assai - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 41 in C, K.551, Jupiter: Allegro Vivace - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 41 in C, K.551, Jupiter: Andante Cantabile - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 41 in C, K.551, Jupiter: Menuetto. Allegretto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 41 in C, K.551, Jupiter: Molto Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus

Tracks:

Symphony No. 9 in C, K. 73 (75a): Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 9 in C, K. 73 (75a): Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 9 in C, K. 73 (75a): Menuetto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 9 in C, K. 73 (75a): Molto Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 10 in G, K.74: Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 10 in G, K.74: Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 10 in G, K.74: Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 10 in D, K. 81 (73l): Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 10 in D, K. 81 (73l): Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 10 in D, K. 81 (73l): Allegreo Molto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 11 in D, K. 84 (73g): Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 11 in D, K. 84 (73g): Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony No. 11 in D, K. 84 (73g): Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in D, K. 95 (73a): Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in D, K. 95 (73a): Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in D, K. 95 (73a): Menuetto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in D, K. 95 (73a): Molto Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in F, K.75: Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in F, K.75: Menuetto - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in F, K.75: Andante - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Symphony in F, K.75: Allegro - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: Allegro - Capella Coloniensis, Marian Migdal
Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: Andante - Capella Coloniensis, Marian Migdal
Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414: Allegretto - Capella Coloniensis, Marian Migdal
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503: Allegro Maestoso - Capella Coloniensis, Marian Migdal
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503: Andante - Capella Coloniensis, Marian Migdal
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503: Allegretto - Capella Coloniensis, Marian Migdal

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 13 in C, K.415: Allegro - Capella Coloniensis, Nicholas Kraemer, Linda Nicholson
Piano Concerto No. 13 in C, K.415: Andante - Capella Coloniensis, Nicholas Kraemer, Linda Nicholson
Piano Concerto No. 13 in C, K.415: Allegro - Capella Coloniensis, Nicholas Kraemer, Linda Nicholson
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488: Allegro - Capella Coloniensis, Nicholas Kraemer, Linda Nicholson
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488: Adagio - Capella Coloniensis, Nicholas Kraemer, Linda Nicholson
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488: Allegro Assai - Capella Coloniensis, Nicholas Kraemer, Linda Nicholson

Tracks:

Flute Concerto in G Major, K.313: Allegro Maestoso - Hungarian State Orchestra, , Ervin Lukacs
Flute Concerto in G Major, K.313: Adagio Non Troppo - Hungarian State Orchestra, , Ervin Lukacs
Flute Concerto in G Major, K.313: Rondo: Tempo Di Minuetto - Hungarian State Orchestra, , Ervin Lukacs
Flute Concerto in D Major, K.314: Allegro Aperto - Hungarian State Orchestra, , Ervin Lukacs
Flute Concerto in D Major, K.314: Andante Ma Non Troppo - Hungarian State Orchestra, , Ervin Lukacs
Flute Concerto in D Major, K.314: Rondo. Allegro - Hungarian State Orchestra, , Ervin Lukacs
Concerto for Flute and Harp in C, K.299: Allegro - Cologne Concerto, Saskia Kwast, Martin Sandhoff
Concerto for Flute and Harp in C, K.299: Andantino - Cologne Concerto, Saskia Kwast, Martin Sandhoff
Concerto for Flute and Harp in C, K.299: Rondo. Allegro - Cologne Concerto, Saskia Kwast, Martin Sandhoff

Tracks:

Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622: Allegro - English Chamber Orchestra, David Glasser, Geoffrey Simon
Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622: Adagio - English Chamber Orchestra, David Glasser, Geoffrey Simon
Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622: Rondo. Allegro - English Chamber Orchestra, David Glasser, Geoffrey Simon
Oboe Concerto in C, K.314: Allegro Aperto - C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra, Burkhard Glaetzner, Hartmut Haenchen
Oboe Concerto in C, K.314: Adagio Non Troppo - C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra, Burkhard Glaetzner, Hartmut Haenchen
Oboe Concerto in C, K.314: Rondo, Allegretto - C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra, Burkhard Glaetzner, Hartmut Haenchen
Bassoon Concerto in B Flat, K.191: Allegro - Klaus Hellman, Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Bassoon Concerto in B Flat, K.191: Andante Ma Adagio - Klaus Hellman, Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble
Bassoon Concerto in B Flat, K.191: Rondeau, Tempo Di Minuetto - Klaus Hellman, Herbert Kraus, Vienna Mozart Ensemble

Tracks:

String Quartet in a Major K.464: Allegro - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in a Major K.464: Menuetto - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in a Major K.464: Andante - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in a Major K.464: Allegro - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in C Major K.465 Dissonant: Adagio, Allegro - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in C Major K.465 Dissonant: Andante Cantabile - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in C Major K.465 Dissonant: Menuetto. Allegro - Petersen Quartett
String Quartet in C Major K.465 Dissonant: Allegro - Petersen Quartett

Tracks:

Vioin Concerto No. 3 in G, K.216: Allegro - Christian Altenburger, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Vioin Concerto No. 3 in G, K.216: Adagio - Christian Altenburger, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Vioin Concerto No. 3 in G, K.216: Rondo. Allegro - Christian Altenburger, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Vioin Concerto No. 4 in D, K.218: Allegro - Christian Altenburger, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Vioin Concerto No. 4 in D, K.218: Andante Cantabile - Christian Altenburger, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Vioin Concerto No. 4 in D, K.218: Rondeau. Andante Grazioso - Christian Altenburger, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Fantasy in F Minor, K.608 - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Sandor V

Tracks:

Violin Concerto No. 5 in A, K.219: Allegro Aperto - Christian Altenburger, Wolfram Christ, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A, K.219: Adagio - Christian Altenburger, Wolfram Christ, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A, K.219: Rondeau, Tempo Di Minuetto - Christian Altenburger, Wolfram Christ, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat for Violin and Viola, K.364: ... - Christian Altenburger, Wolfram Christ, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat for Violin and Viola, K.364: Andante - Christian Altenburger, Wolfram Christ, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann
Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat for Violin and Viola, K.364: Presto - Christian Altenburger, Wolfram Christ, German Bach Soloists, Helmut Winschermann

Tracks:

Requiem, K.626: Requiem - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Dies Irae - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Tuba Mirum - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Rex Tremendae - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Recordare - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Confutatis - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Lacrimosa - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Domine Jesu - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Hostias - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Sanctus - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Benedictus - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Agnus Dei - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Requiem, K.626: Lux Aeterna - Aldo Baldin, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerhard Faulstich, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Edith Wiens
Laudate Dominum - Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Ivan Fischer, Jeunesses Musicales Chorus, Maria Zadori

Tracks:

Missa Solembis in C Minor, K.139: Kyrie - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Missa Solembis in C Minor, K.139: Gloria - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Missa Solembis in C Minor, K.139: Credo - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Missa Solembis in C Minor, K.139: Sanctus - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Missa Solembis in C Minor, K.139: Benedictus - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Missa Solembis in C Minor, K.139: Agnus Dei - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Misericordias Domini, K.222 - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Inter Natos Mulierum, K.72 - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, K.273 - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach
Venite Populi, K.260 - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, , Werner Hollweg, Celina Lindsley, Rias Chamber Chorus, Gabriele Schreckenbach

Tracks:

Ave Verum Corpus [From Lorenzo's Oil] - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marcus Creed, Rias Chamber Chorus
Exsultate, Jubilate, K.165 - Gabrielle Fuchs
Church Sonata in C, K.328 - Robert Kuppelwieser
Laudate Dominum - Camerata Academica of the Salzburg Mozarteum, Gabrielle Fuchs, Ernst Hinreiner
Fantasy in F Minor, K.608
Ah, Lo Previdi...Ah, T'Invola Agl'occhi Miei, K.272 - Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Ervin Lukacs, Sylvia Sass

Tracks:

Magic Flute, K.620 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Marriage of Figaro, K.492 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Ascanio in Alba, K.111 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Idomeneo, K.366 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Impresario, K.486 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Cosi Fan Tutte, K.588 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Abduction from the Seraglio, K.384 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Finta Giardiniera, K.196 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Lucio Silla, K.135 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Clemenza Di Tito, K.621 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Don Giovanni, K.527 - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk

Tracks:

Five Minuets, K.461: No. 1 in C - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Five Minuets, K.461: No. 2 in E Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Five Minuets, K.461: No. 3 in G - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Five Minuets, K.461: No. 4 in B Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Five Minuets, K.461: No. 5 in F - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six Contredances, K.462: No. 1 in C - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six Contredances, K.462: No. 2 in E Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six Contredances, K.462: No. 3 in B Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six Contredances, K.462: No. 4 in D - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six Contredances, K.462: No. 5 in B Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six Contredances, K.462: No. 6 in F - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Two Quadriles, K.463: No. 1 in F - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Two Quadriles, K.463: No. 2 in B Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.509 - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Contredanse, K.534, Das Donnerwetter - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Contredanse, K.535 la Bataille - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Contredanse, K.587 Der Sieg Vom Helden Koburg - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.600: No. 1 in C - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.600: No. 2 in F - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.600: No. 3 in B Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.600: No. 4 in E Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.600: No. 5 in G, The Canary - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Six German Dances, K.600: No. 6 in D - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Two Contredanses, K.603: No. 1 in D - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Two Contredanses, K.603: No. 2 in B Flat - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Three German Dances, K.605: No. 1 in D - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Three German Dances, K.605: No. 2 in G - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus
Three German Dances, K.605: No. 3 in C, The Sleighride - Hans Graf, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra & Chorus

Tracks:

Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: Overture - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: Der Vogelfer Bin Ich Ja, ... - Bratislava Philharmonic, Hermann Prey
Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: O Isis and Osiris, The Priest's Chorus - Bulgarian National Choir, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Svetoslav Obretenov Bulgarian Choir
Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: Der H Rache, Queen of the ... - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sumi Jo, Roberto Paternostro
Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: Ies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Sch... - Kurt Eichhorn, Munich Radio Orchestra, Josef Protschka
Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: Ein Mhen Oder Weibchen, ... - Bratislava Philharmonic, Hermann Prey,
Magic Flute, K.620 Highlights: Heil Sei Euch Geweihten, Final Chorus - Bulgarian National Choir, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Svetoslav Obretenov Bulgarian Choir
Idomeneo, K.366 Highlights: Vedrommi Intorno, Idomeneo's Aria - NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro, Giuseppe Sabbatini
Idomeneo, K.366 Highlights: Ballet Music - NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro, Giuseppe Sabbatini
Idomeneo, K.366 Highlights: Il Padre Adorato, Idamente's Aria - NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro, Giuseppe Sabbatini
Idomeneo, K.366 Highlights: d'Oreste, d'Ajace, Electra's Aria - Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Ervin Lukacs, Sylvia Sass
Idomeneo, K.366 Highlights: Torna la Pace, Idomenco's Aria - Kurt Eichhorn, Munich Radio Orchestra, Josef Protschka

Tracks:

Don Giovanni, K.527 Highlights: Overture - Staatskapelle Dresden, Hans Vonk
Don Giovanni, K.527 Highlights: Madamina, Il Catalogo Questo, ... - Renato Bruson, NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro
Don Giovanni, K.527 Highlights: Li Darem la Mano, Duet ... - Renato Bruson, Sona Ghazarian, NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro
Don Giovanni, K.527 Highlights: Dalla Sua Pace, Don Ottavio's Aria - Kurt Eichhorn, Munich Radio Orchestra, Josef Protschka
Don Giovanni, K.527 Highlights: Mi Traduell'alma Ingrata, ... - Sona Ghazarian, NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro
Don Giovanni, K.527 Highlights: Il Mio Tesoro, Don Ottavio's Aria - Kurt Eichhorn, Munich Radio Orchestra, Josef Protschka
Abduction from the Seraglio, K.384: Ich Baue Ganz Auf Deine ... - Kurt Eichhorn, Munich Radio Orchestra, Josef Protschka
Abduction from the Seraglio, K.384: Singt Dem Gron Bassa Lieder, ... - Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Rias Chamber Chorus, Hanns Martin Schneidt
Abduction from the Seraglio, K.384: Wenn Der Freude Trn ... - Kurt Eichhorn, Munich Radio Orchestra, Josef Protschka
Cosan Tutte, K. 588: Come Scoglio, Fiordiligi's Aria - Bulgarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vassil Stefanov, Anna Tomowa Sintow
Cosan Tutte, K. 588: Un'aura Amorosa, Ferrando's Aria - NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro, Giuseppe Sabbatini
Clemenza Di Tito, K.621: Ah Se Fosse Intorno Al Trono, Tito's Aria - NHK Chamber Soloists, Roberto Paternostro, Giuseppe Sabbatini

Album Description

Enjoy a little night music with Mozart and this ultimate collection of his music. This incredible 20-CD set presents the listener with all of Mozart's most famous works, from Symphonies and Concertos, to highlights of his best operas The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni. Take in his Missa Solemnis, Ave Verum and Requiem and don't forget Eine Kleine Nachtmusik...this set truly is the most definitive Mozart collection ever assembled!

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Collection.......2007-04-11

As a selection, this is highly representative of Mozart's music. Just seeing the volume of work makes one marvel at Mozart's genius. Hear everything from piano to woodwinds, symphonies to concertos as well as religious pieces and operas. On my cd player, which is not a very expensive model, I get fine tonal quality and dynamics. I would highly recommend this box set to any fan of Mozart's work.

Celebrate Mozart's 250th at a Budget Price.......2006-01-11

This month will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of the giants of the classical music world. While I am certainly not a classical music snob (the only Mozart piece I can identify is "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," and what little I know of his life came from the 1984 movie "Amadeus"), I recognize his genius and the significance of his music.

This 20-CD box set gathers all of his major symphonies, concertos and operas into one massive collection. All of the selections are performed by European musicians (eg. the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berliner Kammerorchester, etc.). While not household names, the music is uniformly excellent.

If you're looking for an inexpensive purchase (I got mine at a national retailer that rhymes with "Clam's Tub" for under $20!) to kick off your "Rock Me Amadeus" party, this is a great choice. RECOMMENDED

Immortal Beloved / Sir Georg Solti (film 1994)

Average customer rating:

Below Average Beethoven Performances
Immortal beloved film
Living Perfection
A wonderful tribute to the artist
Very emotional and moving!!

Immortal Beloved / Sir Georg Solti (film 1994)
Ludwig van Beethoven , Georg Solti , Renée Fleming , Yo-Yo Ma , Murray Perahia , Emanuel Ax , Pamela Frank , Thomas Frost , Gidon Kremer , Vinson Cole , London Symphony Orchestra , and London Voices
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Immortal Beloved
More Immortal Beloved
Amadeus: The Complete Original Soundtrack Recording
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ASIN: B000002AQD
Release Date: 1994-12-06

Tracks:

Symphony No. 5 In C Minor, Op.67: Napoleon Shells Vienna
Fur Elise: Childhood Dreams
Symphony No. 3 In E-flat Major, Op. 55: Ludwig And Julia At Schonbrunn Palace Gardens
Piano Sonata No. 14 (Quasi Una Fantasia) In C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 'Moonlight': Julia And Her Father Secretly Watch
Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op.68 'Pastoral': Ludwig And Caspar Fight
Piano Trio No. 4 In D Major, Op. 70 No. 1 'Ghost': Ludwig Consols Anna Marie
Violin Concerto In D Major, Op. 61: The Beethoven Brothers In Baden
Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique': A Concert For Lichnowsky
Piano Concerto No. 5 In E-Flat Major, Op. 73 'Emperor': The Letter
Missa Solemnis In D Major, Op.123: The Funeral
Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Op. 92: Karl At The Ruins
Violin Sonata In A Major, Op. 47 'Kreutzer': The Carriage Stuck In The Mud
Symphony No. 9 In D Minor, Op. 125: The Night Of The Premiere

Customer Reviews:

Below Average Beethoven Performances.......2007-03-10

It is unfortunate that they chose Solti's direction for the symphonic pieces in this soundtrack as he is simply one of the worst conductors for Beethoven. His direction is so slow one would think he is leading a funeral procession instead of music inspired by the French Revolution.

Of all old school directors such as Karajan, Toscanini, etc., Solti's performances are simply morbidly slow to the point of killing the grieving attendants with boredom. The cacophony of the oversized orchestra doesn't help either. Solti's interpretations are even too slow for a requiem. You think a regular interpretation of the 7th's second movement is slow? Wait 'til you hear this one; you're going to need a massage you'll be so stiff. The 9th symphony march is supposed to be a brisk revolutionary march calling the citizens to arms and to join the militia marching through a town. With Solti you imagine only a funeral procession coming through the town. In the Fifth the whole orchestra is almost struggling to slow down to match the strings. Karajan's interpretations are not particularly fast either but at least he breathes some life into them and the orchestra. I personally like Toscanini in terms of the old 20th century symphonic conductors and Gardiner's traditional interpretations that are at least at a correct speed and give the listener the impression they are marching off as part of a revolutionary batallion to bring liberty to the oppressed instead of being rolled to the morgue. Beethoven was a revolutionary anti-monarchist and strongly supported the idea of political change. Although Periah is a great pianist for Beethoven's concertos, there are simply better performances by him that fortunately aren't conducted by Solti such as on Sony with Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The same goes for the performances with Axe and Yo-Yo Ma. Gidon Kramer's performance for the Violin Concerto in D is also mediocre at best: there are better violinists out there than Kremer for Beethoven.

This is just not the best CD to get quality performances of Beethoven's works. Overall, Solti's interpretations are simply too sluggish and indecipherable to represent the ideals of Beethoven's music. Solti would definitely be my last choice for anything. You won't lose anything by not buying this soundtrack that's for sure: Solti's interpretations are so slow they will simply fossilize you.

Immortal beloved film.......2007-02-06

having watched a recording of Immortal beloved for a number of years the tape was past its best. now that i have the chance of ordering on line i did , and a good move it was. It was nice to see the film and things so clear, i had not see before, the writing on the love letter at the begining and tears that was shed. Iam very pleased with the dvd.

Living Perfection.......2007-01-14

This is one of the most perfect CDs I own, it's one I come back to time and time again. The recording quality is excellent - even on the cassette, which I've finally replaced after 12 years - but even better, the musical interpretation is splendid. Anyone who thinks that classical music is no longer relevant in our culture needs to buy this CD.

A wonderful tribute to the artist.......2005-05-25

This CD is perfect in my opinion. The recording is perfect, the pitch is perfect, the tempo is perfect, and the track selections are perfect. I think the album samples Beethoven's most remarkable pieces of work from his early years to his death. I have heard many recordings of the Ninth symphony that was just executed poorly; which is a shame because it is such a powerful piece. However, this album does it superbly. Sir Georg Solti and Murray Perahia did an amazing job with this album.

The album just flows really well from one piece to the next evoking a vast array of emotions along the way. Beethoven is timeless and forever will be. There is no comparison even to this day. This a wonderful tribute to the artist.

Very emotional and moving!!.......2005-05-23

I am a big fan of classical music. Beethoven, in my opinion, was one of the best composers, Mozart 1st, Beethoven 2nd, etc. This album is very moving and filled with emotion. I am currently listening to Adagio Cantabile-from Piano Sonata No. 8-from the film album. This piece is so moving and emotional. Another piece was Moonlight Sonata which I especially liked. Beethoven loads this piece with love and emotion for his one true love. In my opinion, Beethoven was the best at writing emotional and moving music. Whenever I listen to his music, I am immersed in a world of emotion and feeling. His music is truly beautiful. Back to the album, Sir Georg Solti really captured Beethoven's genius and devotion to his music in this album. This album really accents the film. You cannot have one, you must have both the film and the soundtrack. This is a must have for classical music/Beethoven fanatics and people who want to get a great summary of Beethoven's genius. BUY THIS!!!!

Beethoven - Missa Solemnis / Margiono * Robbin * Kendall * Miles * EBS * Gardiner

Average customer rating:

Exquisite!
Hairs on End
Wonderful Performance, Problematic Engineering
Inspiring
Bland, dry, and uninspired

Beethoven - Missa Solemnis / Margiono * Robbin * Kendall * Miles * EBS * Gardiner
Ludwig van Beethoven , John Eliot Gardiner , Charlotte Margiono , Catherine Robbin , The English Baroque Soloists , The Monteverdi Choir , William Kendall , and Alastair Miles
Manufacturer: Archiv Produktion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000057DP
Release Date: 1991-02-08

Tracks:

Missa Solemnis: Kyrie - Assai sostenuto (Mit Andacht)
Missa Solemnis: Gloria (Allegro vivace)
Missa Solemnis: Credo (Allegro ma non troppo)
Missa Solemnis: Sanctus - Adagio (Mit Andacht)
Missa Solemnis: Agnus Dei - Adagio

Amazon.com essential recording

John Eliot Gardiner's interpretation of the Missa Solemnis stands as one of the crowning accomplishments of his career and one of the most impressive achievements of the period-instrument movement. The concept is grand and powerful, lively though not unduly brisk. The execution is simply electrifying: Gardiner has the orchestra on the edge of their seats, the chorus going all-out, and sparks flying everywhere. Excellent singing from the soloists and a vivid recording complete the triumph, and it's all on a single disc. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite!.......2007-02-17

I'm not typically a big period instruments fan, but this recording was fabulous. With the singing and excitement at such a high level, I really didn't even notice the period instrumentation.

I have not listened to all of the other versions, so I have no basis for comparisons, but I have a hard time believing that ANYONE would be disappointed with this recording. This is far superior to the recording I used to own of this piece (Robert Shaw, maybe?). Now, I can truly see what all of the fuss is about regarding this piece!

Hairs on End.......2007-02-12

When I was in college I had the incredible experience of singing in the chorus for the Beethoven 9th with Kurt Masur and the Leipzig Gewanthaus. I floated on air for days after the performance. During rehearsal, Maestro Masur gave a talk about his thoughts on the 9th in relation to the Missa. He said that the Missa was Beethoven arguing with God with that argument being be resolved in the 9th. From a musical, but not textual standpoint, I could see his point of view.

Gardiner seems to subscribe to this viewpoint: he brings out the fury of the music in a way that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The playing is intense and precise. The clarity of textures adds to the drama. Gardiner doesn't hold anything back. And, contrary to some opinions here, the playing is extremely musical. From my standpoint this is one of the most breathtaking recordings I've ever heard. It is also far superior to the Karajan snooze-fest.

Wonderful Performance, Problematic Engineering.......2006-05-21

Gardiner's is a performance that eschews self-conscious, often grandiose attempts at "profundity" (unlike the Levine, for instance), and instead brings out the cosmic surge and dynamism that is hard wired into this music, but so often buried beneath layers of "solemnity". Fifteen years after I first heard it, it remains my reference for the score, alongside George Szell's similarly dynamic and bracing live performance with the Cleveland Orchestra (only available, I believe, as part of a 6 CD set from the orchestra). There are other ways to play the work, and I own quite a few of those as well; but the Gardiner approach strikes me as a revelation.

If there's a problem with the Gardiner, it's the engineering. This is one of the ugliest-sounding orchestral recordings that I have ever heard - and that's saying a lot. It sounds as if the engineer has employed as many microphones as Beethoven did instruments and voices. Heard through an audiophile system, there is no central sonic image whatsoever, no sense of the music coming alive within the expanse of the listening area. The overall sound is sterile, cold, and virtually un-listenable on revealing audio systems that tend at all towards brightness. As much as I love this performance, it's remains for me a headphones-only affair.

Inspiring.......2006-05-09

This to me is very moving music and I would not describe myself as a religious person but then I don't have to be to admire great music. The orchestra and the choir play and sing with great passion and precision. John Eliot Gardiner adopts faster speeds than normal but still manages to allow his forces the time to articulate their parts. The soloist blend so well together and for me this disc is a must. I have heard a number of the other versions of this music noted in previous reviews but for me this is the version all other must now be judged by.

Bland, dry, and uninspired.......2006-02-03

This review will undoubtedly offend the period-instrument crowd. After hearing Robert Shaw's recording, I thought surely it was impossible to have less inspired recording of this piece, unless, of course, your inspiration is to make music that is "correct" instead of music that is good.

Yes, the playing and singing is always accurate and precise, but is that what makes a performance great? Listen to Karajan's recording and you will hear mistakes all over, but you don't care because you are so caught up in the energy and beauty of the performance that you do not care.

The Credo is perhaps the worst movement. Gardiner chooses a ridiculously fast tempo that makes it sound like a drinking song, not a proclamation of faith.

Gardiner being the ultimate literalist chooses not to bring in the chorus at "Pleni sunt coeli." The only other recording I know of is an old LP of Klemperer which I do not think has been released on CD. Though that is what the score says, it does not make musical sense at all, which is why most conductors opt to introduce the chorus there.

By the way, if JEG was so concerned about recreating the "authentic" (whatever that means) sound that Beethoven would have heard, why did he choose to have the singers use ecclesiastical Latin. Would Viennese Latin not be much more appropriate? Just a thought.

If like dull, uninspired recordings of masterpieces, then this is the disc for you. If like me you prefer not to have the life sucked out of music, then stay away from this CD.

Average customer rating:

Missa Solemnis new CD of a classic!
vintage Beethoven perfectly performed
Should you buy the latest remastering of this classic recording?
The Best
Unprecedented Majesty and Grandeur

Missa Solemnis in D major, op.123
L.V. Beethoven , Otto Klemperer , and New Philharmonia Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005AVMH
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

Missa Solemnis new CD of a classic!.......2007-01-21

I remember the Klemperer phonograph recording from many years ago, when I was younger. It left an indelible impact and had not heard the Missa Solemnis for many years, until the CD was released by EMI Classics. Despite the recording being made over 40 years ago in 1965 it remains moving, uplifting and spiritual. The New Philharmonia Chorus was masterful and the quartet was well integrated. Listening to the music makes one wonder how could Beethoven write such dramatic and difficult to perform music. Otto Klemperer was 80 years old at the time of the recording and interestingly his son was Colonel Klink in Hogan's Heros. The low price is nice, however this is a recording that is justified at a much higher price. How in the world did the sopranos sustain the high Bb's in Credo (Et Vitam Venturi)? The end of the Gloria movement is the chorus proclaiming without instrumentation, "GLORIA".
This is a fitting salute to a glorious recording. Bill Turnage

vintage Beethoven perfectly performed.......2006-12-07

Beethoven was a tonal engineer who sought to channel mighty forces, and nowhere are they more powerful than in the Missa Solemnis. In this work Beethoven, the archetypical constructive composer, builds from scratch his conception of man's relation to the infinite. Although the textual framework is that of the religious mass, the conception is not religious in the ordinary sense but transcends it. Both highly personal yet universal, it points into the infinite. This tendency is present in all his greatest works and is responsible for the unfinished feeling -- the sense of having been left incomplete -- that they can give. In the Missa, too, we find the signature quirks of Beethoven -- the unprepared modulations, the seemingly arbitrary abruptness verging on impatience, the occasional imperfectly judged passage or repetition -- that remind us that yes, this is definitely Beethoven, and which in an ordinary composer could be considered flaws. Yet they are not so when taken in context. For Beethoven is concerned with the ongoing, and perfection would be incompatible with his goal. To put it another way, paraphrasing Stravinsky from his "Themes and Conclusions", Beethoven can sometimes be frustrating because we want what we love to be the way we want it to be. Well, it can't be that way, because then we would kill it; what Beethoven is concerned with is greater than any of us, and beyond even his power to describe fully.

The Missa is a difficult work to perform because of the disparate styles of its various parts. Loud fugato passages sit cheek by jowl with quiet sections of ethereal, otherworldly beauty, and some of the writing is surprisingly sensuous and romantically colored. Also much in evidence is the slow, ineffably expressive adagio which Beethoven invented and which occurs elsewhere in the late quartets, for example. Yet these sections when taken as a whole are not fundamentally incompatible. The conductor's problem is to keep focused on the ultimate goal and maintain an overall sense of direction, without getting mired in the exquisite details.

The ultimate test comes toward the middle of the Resurrexit, which is the crux of the matter and on which everything hangs. Many an interpretation will founder here. Not only is there a huge discontinuity, but the concluding vocal quartet is liable to seem puny in comparison, utterly trivial and pointless. The danger is great, for here the plate tectonics of Beethoven's mighty conception burst out and threaten to rupture the work. A thrilling kaleidoscopic succession of powerful inspirations builds and culminates in a majestic rising flood of sound. This flood has to be controlled. Klemperer solves the problem beautifully by tapering it not quite abruptly, yet within the space of a single measure, making it retreat into its classical matrix without extinguishing it. In this way he clinches the work and brings it safely home. Now the meaning of the ensuing quartet becomes clear: Having witnessed the incredible, humans bask in the afterglow of the divine.

Immeasurable in its greatness, both higher and deeper than anything else in music, this is the finest work of the most deeply and humanly moving of all composers.

Should you buy the latest remastering of this classic recording?.......2006-04-29

By any measure the Missa Solemnis is almost impossible to faithfully record, given that the engineers must find a way to balance orchestra, solo quartet, and a large chorus, a total of two hundred performers trying to live up to Beethoven's cosmic conception. Recording techniques have advanced a great deal since the early LP era, of course, but it's still fatiguing on the ear to listen to the Missa Solemnis squeezed down to room size.

EMI's remastering of Klemperer's classic 1965 account lowers the ear fatigue a little (the chorus doesn't "crunch" quite as much in loud passages) and clarifies some of the solo instruments and voices a bit, but is otherwise no great shakes. In its new single-disc format the recording is a bargain, but on the used market you can find the two-disc version, which sounds almost as good, for half the price, and it includes an excellent Choral Fantasy that was one of the highlights of the Barenboim-Klemperer concerto cycle.

The Best.......2006-02-27

My favorite recording of my favorite work of my favorite composer.

Among the many strengths of this performance, I would particularly like to mention how dead-on right are the tempi. Klemperer does not lean toward the ponderous here as he does in his symphony recordings.

There is, however, one notable exception: "In gloria dei patris", the fugal close to the Gloria, really is too slow. Taken at a weighty plod, well under the Allegro ma non troppo marked, this section lacks the cumulative energy and "glory" that it should have.

But let's keep things in perspective. This is the exception in a performance that is otherwise exemplary for its tempo choices. And this work, with more tempo variations than I would care to count, so often suffers abuse from the ill-chosen tempi of other conductors.

The sound quality is fine. The performing forces are excellent. Though, for me, Marga Hoffgen is less than the ideal of vocal beauty or expression. But then, Elisabeth Soderstrom is splendid!

I used to find the Kyrie, while at a perfect tempo, too grandiose dynamically. But now I am not so sure. There is a trade-off here: what the movement loses in humility it gains in grandeur.

But enough indulging in personal views. What I really must emphasize is that this is a beautifully conceived performance. Klemperer grasps the larger structures of this great work, while, by comparison, others are lost, mired in the smaller episodes.

This is THE recording.

Unprecedented Majesty and Grandeur.......2005-12-20

This is the third recording of Missa Solemnis that I have heard. The first two (Karajan and Gardiner) were excellent. Nevertheless, I was totally unprepared for the emotion, grandeur and majesty of the Klemperer recording. I own nearly 1,000 classical CDs, and I feel strongly that this is the most powerful and truly moving CD in my collection. I will leave the analysis of the merits of the singing, conducting, orchestral playing and sound engineering to others. I prefer to keep listening to this reverential music without indulging in dissecting its component parts. The overall experience is simply too awe inspiring for me.

Average customer rating:

inspired performance !!!

The Story of Schubert

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001KCT
Release Date: 1994-02-28

Tracks:

Rosamunde, D. 797: Overture
Mozart: String Quartet In B-Flat Major, K. 172
Marche Militaire, D. 733, No. 1
Hark, Hark, The Lark!, D. 889
Mass No. 5 In A-Flat Major, D. 678: Credo
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485: Allegro
Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, D. 417 'Tragic': Finale: Allegro
Moment Musicaux No. 3 In F Minor, D. 780
Piano Sonata In A Minor, D. 845: Moderato
The Erl King, D. 328
Symphony No. 2 In B-Flat Major, D. 125: Allegro
Symphony No. 6 In C Major, D. 589 'Little': Andante
Symphony No. 6 In C Major, D. 589 'Little': Scherzo
To Music, D. 547
The Trout, D. 550
Piano Quintet In A Major, D. 667 'Trout': Theme And Variations
Octet In F Major, D. 803: Finale
Impromptu In B-Flat Major, D. 935 No. 3
String Quintet In C Major, D. 956: Allegro ma non troppo
Wanderer Fantasy In C Major, D. 760
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D. 759 'Unfinished': Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 9 In C Major, D. 944 'Great': Andante-Allegro ma non troppo
Mass No. 6 IN E-Flat Major, D. 950: Gloria
String Quartet No. 14 In D Minor, D. 810 'Death And The Maiden': Andante con moto
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor, D. 759 'Unfinished': Andante
Ave Maria, D. 839
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Allegro
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Andante con moto
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Menuetto: Allegro molto
Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, D. 485 (Complete): Allegro vivace

Customer Reviews:

inspired performance !!!.......2001-09-02

this collection deserves more than 5 stars.peter maag and the philharmonica hungarica are in top form.this is the best ever of schubert's fifth and eigth i have ever listened to.it is not karl bohm or leonard bernstein or george szell or lorin maazel.
truly the hungarians inspired by maag easily beat all the other top orchestras.
the orchestral texture is transparent with a perfect balance among the string sections ,the woodwind and the brass sections.peter maag obviously loves this music and brings out the heavenly beauty ,the pathos and the monumental dramatic quality of these works.
just listen to schubert's fifth second movement which ends with a heart rending cello phrase.
it is a shame that the well established record companies have not thought it fit to record more of peter maag.in my opinion he is one of the greatest ever conductors.
i will not exchange these performances for any other!

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
I needed this for K139
Young, bright voices effectively sing Mozart
Explicitly Wonderful!

Mozart: Masses (5)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000041ME
Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Kyrie
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Gloria
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Credo
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Sanctus
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Benedictus
Missa In C, K317 'Kronungsmesse': Agnus Dei
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Kyrie
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Gloria
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Credo
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Sanctus - Benedictus
Missa solemnis In C, K337: Agnus Dei
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Kyrie
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Gloria
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Credo
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Sanctus
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Benedictus
Missa In C, K257 'Credo-Messe': Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Kyrie
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Gloria
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Credo
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Sanctus
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Benedictus
Missa In C Minor, K139 'Waisenhaus-Messe': Agnus Dei
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Kyrie
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Gloria
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Credo
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Sanctus
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Benedictus
Missa In C, K167 'Trinitatis-Messe': Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-04

Every piece that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)wrote bears the mark of the unique genius that caused Haydn to say to Leopold:"I delcare to you upon my honor that I consider your son the greatest composer I have ever heard."
Mozart's sixteen completed Mass settings all date from before 1781, the year in which he quit his native Salzburg to try his luck as a freelance composer in Vienna. While it is true that little sacred music dates from the time of Mozart's greatest maturity, the best work of his teens and early twenties show him deploying his easy skills in counterpoint and fluid vocal melody to produce music of elegance and charm,which, while not greatly radical, nevertheless married his strengths successfully to the accepted Austrian church idiom of the day.
Since the city of Salzburg had a long tradition of church music, generally with a brass-heavy orchestral accompaniment, Mozart retained this sound in his Masses, with their trumpets and trombones, and in the case of the 'Coronation' Mass,horns as well.
Mozart's earliest Mass, the so-called 'Waisenhaus-Messe', was not in fact composed for Salzburg but for Vienna intended for the dedication of a new orphanage church.
The 'Missa Trinitas' was composed five years later in Salzburg for the Feast of the Holy Trinity in June 1773.
When Mozart wrote the C major 'Credo' Mass in November, 1776, it was in a lively and cheerful vein and quickly became very popular thruout the Salzburg region.
The two Masses K317 and K337, both again in C major,were written for the Easter celebrations of 1779 and 1790, respectively, and they show a rising maturity. The K317 'Coronation' Mass was performed in Vienna during the celebrations for the coronation of Emperor Leopold in 1790.

Whenever I see the name Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of KIng's College, I know I've got a quality production!..And this is no exception. The wonderful tuneful voices of the boy sopranos and male altos add so much to the sound of Mozart as well as any other early composer, The soloists, however, were brought in for this disc, and are not members of the choir. They are: Margaret Marshal(soprano)-Ann Murray (contralto)-Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor)-David Wilson-Johnson (bass)-Suzanne Mentzer (soprano)-Bernadette di Nissa (contralto)-Neil Mackie (tenor) and Stephen Roberts (bass). THERE WERE NO COUNTERTENORS SINGING SOLO PARTS.
Two very finely performed recordings.

I needed this for K139.......2006-11-10

I needed this recording for K139 only as our chorus was preparing for a performance and solo auditions were pending. I was interested in the alto solos and was a bit dismayed that the first few were done by a countertenor.
However, it was a good quality recording for the price and was helpful in learning my part for the choral sections as well.

Young, bright voices effectively sing Mozart.......2006-02-24

The King's College choir is composed of mostly young, brightly toned voices, which make for a crisp, clean sound on this recording. Therefore, it is excellent for use as either a rehearsal aid when performing any of these Masses, or purely for listening enjoyment. Good, clean recording.

Explicitly Wonderful!.......2004-07-14

I have had the great privelage of writing several other Mozart related reviews, and I was absolutely belated with this wonderful CD. This CD will offer a very detailed and clear performance of the 5 masses presented. It has been said that Mozart wrote the bulk of his sacred music with "a deep, childlike and unquestioning faith." His masses are astounding in practically every aspect. This was an overall satisfying CD.

Average customer rating:

great price but there are some drawbacks
Possibly Schubert's most intimate work!
Franz Schubert's "Deutsche Messe"

Schubert: The 6 Latin Masses

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mozart: Masses (5)
Haydn Masses - Nelsonmesse ~ Harmoniemesse ~ Paukenmesse ~ Kleine Orgelmesse
Schubert: Masses Nos. 2 & 6
Mozart: Masses
Schubert: 24 Lieder

ASIN: B000001K6Y
Release Date: 1997-02-04

Tracks:

German Mass D. 872: Zum Eingang
German Mass D. 872: Zum Gloria
German Mass D. 872: Zum Evangelium und Credo
German Mass D. 872: Zum Offertorium
German Mass D. 872: Zum Sanctus
German Mass D. 872: Nach der Wandlung
German Mass D. 872: Anhang: Das Gebet des Herrn
German Mass D. 872: Zum Agnus Dei
German Mass D. 872: Schlussgesang
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Kyrie
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Gloria
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Credo
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Sanctus
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Benedictus
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Agnus Dei
Mass No.1 In F major, D 105: Dona Nobis Pacem
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Kyrie
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Gloria
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Credo
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Sanctus
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Benedictus
Mass No.2 In G Major. D. 167: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Kyrie
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Gloria
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Credo
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Sanctus
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Benedictus
Mass No.3 In B Flat Major. D 324: Agnus Dei
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Kyrie
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Gloria
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Credo
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Sanctus
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Benedictus
Mass No.5 In A-flat Major D. 678: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Kyrie
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Gloria
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Credo
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Sanctus
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Benedictus
Mass No.4 In C. Major D.452: Agnus Dei
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Kyrie
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Gloria
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Sanctus
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Benedictus
Mass No.6 In E Flat Major, D 950: Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

great price but there are some drawbacks.......2006-08-30

This is good but be aware that the German mass on this recording was recorded in 1962 and the rest of the masses in 1978. The sound quality isn't the best in the world but I'm sure to most people it will be tolerable. It's just that after hearing such good quality new recordings it's kind of hard to stomach an old analog recording.

The performance is good, probably not the best though. The singers seem to really over power the instruments. some times the instruments just seem a little small. There is some background noise just like on most recordings but it's nothing terrible.

I actually recommend the Brilliant Classics Schubert Masses. The sound quality is much better in that box set and it only costs a couple of dollars more.

Possibly Schubert's most intimate work!.......2005-10-07

These masses are Schubert's hymn-like works with an enormous melodic charm. He composed part of them to texts of Johann Philip Neumann, who was a professor at the Vienna Polytechnical Institute, and they were intended for use by the students congregation at that Institute. He finished the first mass when he was only 17 and the last one just a few months before he died, so his masses, the latin as well as his german ones, really span over a relatively long time of the creative part of his career.

Technically speaking these masses seem easy, but they surely rank among Franz Schubert's best works. They certainly constitute a very mature body of work, most part of which written by the great composer towards the end of his short but very prolific life. The choral part is not overly complex, and so is the orchestral one. To me the beauty of these works is in the interaction between choral, solos and orchestral sections. Sometimes a simple work can be magnificent.

I'm not a regular churchgoer, but just like another reviewer here at Amazon.com, I happened to attend a few masses in Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg, Germany, more than a decade ago. Masses in german and english, the softly spoken magic spell accompanied by Schubert's masses. What a blissful atmosphere! When I think about it, it's very difficult to describe that feeling now, but I guess "intimate" would be the word that comes closest to it.

Franz Schubert's "Deutsche Messe".......2000-06-16

I have listened to the "Deutsche Messe" over and over again. I also had the rare opportunity to be at a mass in a church in Germany where an orchestra played Franz Schubert's "Deutsche Messe". Wow! What an experience! The music pieces have so much depths and devotion in them. You can close your eyes and feel what Franz Schubert must have felt.

Average customer rating:

Religious doesn't mean ponderous; this ain't Bruckner
A Missa Solemnis for listeners in a hurry
Typical period influenced Beethoven
A Radiant Missa Solemnis
Zinman & Tonhalle: A Beethoven Joy For All Seasons

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
Rainer Trost tenor , David Zinman conductor , Tonhalle Orchestra & Chorus , and Fritz Naf chorusmaster
Manufacturer: Arte Nova Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000B8QFC8
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

Kyrie Eleison
Christe Eleison
Kyrie - Tempo I
Gloria In Excelsis Deo
Gratias - Meno Allegro
Qui Tollis - Larghetto
Quoniam - Allegro Maestoso
Amen - Poco Piu Allegro
Credo In Unum Deum
Et Incarnatus Est - Adagio
Et Resurrexit - Allegro
Et Vitam Venturi
Allegro Con Moto
Grave
Sanctus
Sunt Coeli
Osanna - Presto
Praludium
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
Dona Nobis Pacem

Album Description

"Revelatory…chorus and orchestra are astonishing: both of them very fine bodies and, here, responding to Zinman's idea of the music as though for joy and with the assurance of true virtuosos…exhilarating and quite profoundly moving…" - Gramophone

Beethoven's greatest choral work in a sublime performance under the direction of David Zinman, universally regarded as one of today's finest Beethoven conductors. The Missa Solemnis was first performed in 1824 and Beethoven himself proclaimed it his greatest work to date. The Swiss Chamber Choir (Schweizer Kammerchor) was founded in 1997 under the direction of Fritz Näf, who has made 15 CDs and recordings for radio and television. The four soloists are all well-known as opera and oratorio singers in Europe. Born in 1936, American conductor David Zinman has risen to the pinnacle of his career in the last decade. His discography of some 100 recordings has won five Grammys and two Grands Prix du Disque. Founded in 1868, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra is Switzerland's oldest symphony orchestra.

Customer Reviews:

Religious doesn't mean ponderous; this ain't Bruckner.......2007-05-31

This performance of the Missa Solemnis is as devout as any other. It just doesn't make the mistake (epidemic in Teutonic music) of equating slowness with seriousness. This is not Parsifal, it's not Bruckner, and it's not dead.

Some slow performances are devout, some are merely sluggish. This one is fast without being flip or glib. God will presumably be just as happy.

P.S. Contrary to a what another reviewer may imply, the soprano here is no more screechy than any other in this music. Beethoven's vocal writing is notoriously high. The contralto at the premiere of the Ninth Symphony broke into tears trying to persuade Beethoven to lower her part. He obviously felt that putting the singer in extremis was an artistic decision. It was the sound he wanted.

A Missa Solemnis for listeners in a hurry.......2007-03-10

I can only echo Mr. VanDeSande's reservations about this hasty, propulsive Missa Solemnis from Zurich. Zinman sold a million CDs of his Beethoven symphony cycle, and money talks. A whole generation of young listeners will come away assuming that period-performance readings are improvements on fuddy[duddy tradition. I doubt there's any stemming this tide, although it must be said that in the major music capitals of the world, the number of major orchestras performing Beethoven this way is minimal.

This CD is essentially a speed-up of John Eliot Gardiner's period reading releaswed by Philips in 1991. Zinman takes 66 min. versus 72 under Gardiner; by comparison, Bernstein's first version on Sony took 77 min. The result of this undue haste is a tremendous loss of expression, reverene, and comfort for the singers, but since Zinman has them barking out their words, they manage not to fall apart. The Zurich orchestra and chorus are fine but not in the first rank, needless to say. In sum, this is a budget Missa Solemnis that observes every current fad and is likely to give Zinman another bestseller.

Typical period influenced Beethoven.......2007-02-05

I now find it ironic that the rendition of Beethoven's ballet, "Creatures of Prometheus", that first turned me on was by Zinman and the Rochester Philharmonic way back when on a Vox discount CD. This was before Zinman became a household name among the period practice crowd.

I got mixed enjoyment from Zinman's spin on the Bahrenreiter edition Beethoven Symphonies and generally enjoyed the playing of the orchestra he used. I would say exactly the same is true here -- there is limited enjoyment for anyone that thinks the "Missa Solemnis" is indeed a solemn mass and should be interpreted as one.

Zinman strictly adheres to the tenets of period performance practice -- his pace is consistently rapid, the phrasing is regularly clipped, the singers reign in vibrato (so do the violins) and he overdoes it doubling the soloist's runs with timpani. Given these parameters, this can be a satisfactory performance if you forgive the screechy soprano. If you can't get past either of those things, you'll wonder why you put out even the paltry $3.38 the lowest-priced Amazon vendor wants for this CD.

I understand how some people can enjoy this approach. Yet I wonder how anyone can listen to this performance then compare it to one of the truly titanic recordings of this music (Levine, Klemperer, Bernstein-Concertgebouw, Wand, many others) and wonder if at least something isn't missing. That "something" would be religious devotion, which, of course, is the whole point.

That being missed, this is essentially an impatient toe-tapping version of Beethoven's great solemn mass, hardly a meaningful interpretation. Since Zinman is in his maturity there isn't much likelihood he'll eschew the dogma of PPP and record this again before he dies. Perhaps hope springs eternal for such a transformation?

A Radiant Missa Solemnis.......2007-01-30

Addendum to the following review: March 10, 2007. It is obvious that many lovers of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis disagree with the review below. On reading the criticisms of Zinman by my fellow reviewers, I have decided to let the review stand. The critics have a point. Zinman's reading of the work is fast, fluid, and graceful. Some equate this with a lack of reverence. But I think it more a matter of hearing a transcendental work in a new way. Zinman's is not the only way to perform the Missa but it offers its own light on a limitless score. There is something to be learned from and savored in it even though it may not be everyone's Missa. Classics Today rated this performance highly, noting that it was particularly good for new listeners who might otherwise have inordinate trouble with this famously difficult music. I wrote my review for people coming anew to this difficult work and for people whose ears were open to new approaches. It is not the only way of hearing Beethoven. Robin Friedman

Beethoven completed his Missa Solemnis in 1823, following four years of effort. With the possible exception of "Fidelio", no other work cost Beethoven such pain. With some reason, Beethoven regarded the Missa Solemnis as his greatest composition. With its size, complexity, and varied use of musical forms, the Missa Solemnis may be Beethoven's most difficult work to approach. But the meaning of the work is clear: the Missa Solemnis constitutes Beethoven's sustained effort to come to terms with God and with his own life. Through its frequently tortured moments, the Missa Solemnis ends with a deeply moving prayer for inner and outer peace.

This Missa Solemnis by David Zinman conducting the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich is a joy in the exuberance it brings to the work. Zinman served as Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1985 -- 1998 and as Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle Orchestra since 1995. In 1999 Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra recorded a widely-acclaimed cycle of the Beethoven symphonies. This recording of the Missa Solemnis dates from 2001, has only recently been rereleased on Arte Nova, and meets the same high standard. The CD is available at a budget price.

Joy, transparency, and lightness characterize Zinman's reading of the Missa Solemnis. Zinman's interpretation compliments that of many other recordings which emphasize the solemn and severe aspects of the music. A key to Zinman's approach lies in tempo. His performance of the Missa runs just under 66 minutes. In contrast, an excellent budget performance on Naxos by the late Kenneth Schermerhorn's runs over 77 minutes while Otto Klemperer's magisterial reading of the Missa Solemnis is close to 80 minutes in length. Zinman's pacing of the work gives it a joyful, moving flow, even in the complex fugal sections. It reminded me that religious search is serious but not necessarily ponderous. Zinman's reading is filled with hope. In addition, there is a wonderful unity of effort in this CD among the orchestra, chorus, and soloists. They tend to blend beautifully together as the four solo voices interlace with the chorus and with each other.

Beethoven composed the Missa Solemnis in five large blocked sections, Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Each of the sections is a unity but yet each also consists of widely different types of music. Beethoven used a great deal of archaic material in the Missa Solemnis, including chant and modal scales interspersed with straighforward tonal sections of more immediate appeal. On this CD, the Missa Solemnis is, unusually, divided into 21 tracks, which allows the listener to focus upon the many changes within each of the five sections of the work.

Some of the best moments of Zinman's reading include the passionate opening to the "Gloria" section, the lovely interplay between vocalist and flute in the "Et incarnatus est" passage of the "Credo", the violin obligato in the Benedictus section of "Sanctus" and the concluding section of "Agnus Dei" which in Zinman's reading becomes a flowing and graceful, almost dance-like prayer for deep serenity.

Zinman offers a lyrical and graceful interpretation of what, by any account, is a difficult, demanding masterwork to perform and to hear. Any lover of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis will have his or her feeling for the work enhanced by Zinman's reading.

Robin Friedman

Zinman & Tonhalle: A Beethoven Joy For All Seasons.......2005-11-30

The large - and in all senses of the word, imposing - great mass by Beethoven has not become associated with a particular season, religious or secular. Yet. Handel's Messiah, Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Britten's Ceremony of Carols - these and other works are firmly anchored in our December senses. Even beyond Christmas as such, many cultures have some sort of prominent winter festival.

One begins to reflect on festivals the moment the first notes of this performance of the Beethoven Great Mass break forth from the speakers. Festivals and music-making are inseparable all around the planet.

Now Zinman and Tonhalle have already long since presented their Beethoven credentials on red book standard CD at the world's doorsteps, having offered us the astounding cycle of the nine symphony recordings (also released on Arte Nova, inexpensively). That series of recordings justly deserved winning the German record critics' prize for 1999.

But even very fine players who can do the symphonies can still fall short in this Everest of the composed masses available to us in the west. So how do these wonderful folks do in the Missa Solemnis?

All their familiar Beethoven gifts are in evidence.

Though not playing on original instruments as such; their phrasing, rhythms, and tempos owe much to the vigorous performance practices that had arisen among original instrument or period instrument musicians, say, by about the third or fourth generation of ongoing research & recreation. To this sort of player, even very great and long-revered music is not the least bit sleepy. Think Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the likes of - Il Giardino Armonico, or Fabio Biondi & Europa galante, or Rinaldo Alessandrini & Concerto Itialiano. That is, this is not your great-great grandmother's 19th century performance practice.

None of this vigor means much, however, unless it serves musical and expressive ends.

Happily, Zinman and company have very pointed musical ends in mind as they play this Beethoven Great Mass.

If you have felt past and more traditional performances of this work have fallen into lumbering along, despite their often stellar casts; this may be just the pick me up that you have been looking for in this work. There is a lightness, a deft touch - a spirit of bel canto song, if you will - that informs the faster passages in the Zinman and company approach. Theirs is not blizzard speed for its own sake; nor slowing for the sake of formed seriousness lacking depth of intention. Fast or slow or in between, the point is the shape of the music Zinman and company have let find them and hold them fast.

Odd as it may seem given the sheer outsized proportions of the Great Mass as the composer consciously intended it, the fugues in this performance lean more towards dance than towards academic schools of polyphony or mathematics. Did you realize fugues were a happy fizzy champagne? Just listen to Zinman and company do the fugues here.

The high and musical unity of purpose holds for the orchestra, the chorus, and the four soloists under Zinman's direction.

Whether as an effect of inspired leadership or of diligently led preparation, every singer or player in this performance is working together, a Gloria dei, and probably a Gloria Beethoven as well. As you listen, you may find that the deeper consistency on display to the ear does not preclude many thought provoking and happy touches, both immediately in passing in a particularly inflected phrase, and in the larger paragraphs and pages, too.

Just as the orchestra needs to be one and many at the same time, so the four soloists have their separate and common tasks to challenge them in this music. Rainer Trost rings out from his very first entry in the Kyrie; and all the others meet him as equal artists throughout. The ladies are both very fine, with Luba Organasova and Anna Larson in exquisite voice, singly and together. The bass is Franz-Joseph Selig, and as the bottom of the quartet's sung music he is a solid foundation, musical - way more than the gruff bear out of winter hibernation that growls away at the bottom of the staves. If the ladies blend well, so do the gentlemen singers. And the quartet becomes that mystical one in four angels that floats on the heights of this Everest of a composed mass. Somehow all this reminds me of Mahler's anchorites chorus in the second half of his eighth symphony setting of the finale of Goethe's Faust.

There is hardly any real weakness here, then, on anybody's part. The Tonhalle band relishes Beethoven, just as successfully - and with equal good humor - as in their symphony cycle. Zinman presides, the first among equals. And the chorus is all vocal zest and tang, as if Beethoven's quasi-instrumental vocal writing were more like a conversation among friends having a stroll on a fine day with no worries in sight. Don't fall into the trap of believing that the Beethoven Great Mass is really easy music, just because these performers make it sound so superbly effortless. There is hard work behind the scenes here, as well as the genius and joy that resound in the listener's ears.

Except for the listener who might fell weak in the knees to own such gold, so cheaply as Arte Nova allows. Don't mistake this budget recording for any other, budget or mid-price or full. It is its own reason for being, a Gloria Beethoven.

Now stop reading and click yes on your little shopping cart icon. You will certainly not at all ever be sorry that you got this CD, and you will most likely end up letting it share the shelf with other great recordings of the past. This is easily the equal - maybe the better in a certain sort of sense - of the closest neighbor, the John Eliot Gardiner recording at full price.

Kudos and stars all round. Now buy this CD, if you please.

Average customer rating:

It is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful.
Robert Shaw Choruses At Their Best!
Glorious

Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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