Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Richard Hickox, Pamela Helen Stephen :: Haydn: Creation Mass; Missa "Rorate coeli desuper"

Haydn: Creation Mass; Missa "Rorate coeli desuper"
Franz Joseph Haydn, Richard Hickox, Pamela Helen Stephen
Haydn: Creation Mass; Missa "Rorate coeli desuper"
Genre: Classical
 
Haydn's Creation Mass is so named because it quotes the theme from his oratorio, The Creation. Each of his last six masses proposes a fresh and original solution to the problem of creating sacred music within the classical...  more »

     
1

Larger Image

CD Details


Synopsis

Amazon.com
Haydn's Creation Mass is so named because it quotes the theme from his oratorio, The Creation. Each of his last six masses proposes a fresh and original solution to the problem of creating sacred music within the classical style. In these late works, Haydn adopted a truly symphonic approach, dividing the text into "movements," as in a symphony, rather than individual choruses, solos, duets, and so forth. His tiny Missa Rorate coeli desuper by contrast, is truly brevis (brief). The Gloria lasts less than a minute, with every vocal part taking a different text at the same time so as to get through all the words as quickly as possible. As a "get out of church fast" strategy, it's unbeatable, and so are these dynamic and vital performances. --David Hurwitz

Similarly Requested CDs

 

CD Reviews

Best of genre!
03/07/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"A brief comment on commercial reviews reprinted by Amazon: some of these reviews (Gramophone's review above is an example) are so abbreviated that they are virtually unintelligible! No matter what you might think on the basis of the chopped up Gramophone excerpt reprinted here, Gramophone has been incredibly enthusiastic with respect to this series of Haydn masses. Now my own opinion: this is the second in the series of recordings of Haydn masses directed by Richard Hickox whose love and understanding of Haydn make him uniquely suitable to this task. As far as I know, Haydn wrote six major masses which Hickox set out to record; as of today we have four volumes, so I suppose we should expect two more. All of these volumes constitute a major musical event (they are, in addition to this one: Theresienmesse; Harmonienmesse; and Paukenmesse). Hickox directs a period orchestra whose sensitive and responsive playing is well matched by the singing of the well-balanced chorus joined by some of the best soloists on the English baroque scene. The musical vision is remarkably consistent from volume to volume enahnced by the repeated appearance of some of the soloists throughout the series. The result is some of the best Haydn music on disc!"