Jozef Zeidler (1744-1806) and Antoni Habel (1760-1831) are major figures in the history of Polish classical music. And yet they’re almost ciphers. Almost nothing is known of Zeidler’s life or career. He wrote in the style of Mozart and Haydn, earning him the nickname “the Polish Mozart.” Zeidler’s Mass in D major does have a […]
choral music
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Michel-Richard de Lalande Grands Motets Evoke Grandeur
Michel-Richard de Lalande was a contemporary of Jean-Baptiste Lully and François Couperin. Like them, he served at the court of Louis XIV. Lalande’s strength was composing grand motets; elegant, extravagant, grand music suited for the Royal Chapel at Versailles. This release presents three examples. All three require a large orchestra (for the Baroque period, that […]
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Graupner Passion Cantatas II Maintain High Standard
In 1741 Christoph Graupner produced ten Passion Cantatas — one for each Sunday of Lent. Volume 1 featured three of those cantatas; Volume 2 has three more, each uniquely shaped by the text Graupner sets. Das Leiden Jesu von seinen Freunden, GWV 1122/41 (Friend, why are you here) was for the Third Sunday of Lent. […]
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Martinu and Martin together in The Secret Mass
There’s only one letter difference between the names Martin and Martinu. Their music isn’t as closely related, but they do share some similarities. Swiss Frank Martin and Czech Bohuslav Martinu were both born in 1890 and were musical contemporaries. The Danish National Vocal Ensemble performs mostly a capella works by these two men, highlighting both […]
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Ola Gjeilo – Sunrise Mass a Beautiful Start for Any Day
Ola Gjeilo has a gift for writing choral music of exceeding beauty. And while “Sunrise Mass” showcases Gjeilo’s music, works by other composers are wisely interspersed for variety. The end result is a choral album that is first-rate in every regard — the choice of material, the cohesiveness of the program, the quality of the […]
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Giovanni Ristori Missa in C major to be taken seriously
A commenter took me to task for my recent review of Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Missa Omnium Sanctorum. “The point of a mass setting is not to be “fun” and Zelenka would probably abhor that characterization of this work… Anyway, it was his friend [Giovanni Alberto] Ristori who was responsible for the “fun” masses in Dresden.” […]
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Johann Friedrich Fasch Sacred Works on par with Bach’s
This release features a thoughtful program of music by Johann Friedrich Fasch. Two major choral works are separated by an instrumental suite. The Mass in G major is fascinating. Fasch breaks the text down almost to its component phrases. He then seems to treat each phrase differently, moving seamlessly from choral contrapuntal passages to vocal […]
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Charles Villiers Stanford 1919 “Via Victix” still relevant
This is a world premiere recording — of a work that was completed in 1919. And, I think, it’s a work that deserves reevaluation. Charles Villiers Stanford composed his Mass “Via Victix 1914-1918” to mark the end of the Great War (now called World War I). The conflict had begun with stirring appeals to patriotism […]
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Christoph Graupner Solo and Dialogue Cantatas Surprisingly Light and Airy
CPO continues their exploration of Christoph Graupner’s catalog with a selection of his solo and dialogue cantatas. There’s a lot to choose from. This set includes five of his 177 surviving sacred cantatas. They span a decade, from 1709 to 1719. Yet all five cantatas are surprisingly consistent in style. In these works, the music […]