Search - Joseph Haydn, Christopher Hogwood, Emma Kirkby :: Haydn - Great Organ Mass · St. Cecilia Mass · Missa Sancti Nicolai · Missa Brevis / Nelson · Kirkby · Watkinson · Hill · Thomas · AAM · Hogwood

Pretty good, but watch your eardrums...

02/25/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a light-hearted and crisp performance of these pieces. Granted this music is not terribly complicated; it often seems, if not predictable, then instantly familiar and occasionally schmaltzy. We can probably forgive Haydn this, as he wrote some of these pieces when he was only 12! The soloists are smooth and not pushy and the choir's diction and timing are razor sharp. They positively bounce and soar through the music, and this is great stuff to crank up on your car stereo (watch your speed though, as you are bound to get carried away [this is the voice of experience talking]). There are a few reasons why I can't give this recording 5 stars. For some unnecessary reason the Kyrie in the Grosse Orgelmesse moves at the speed of treacle. Perhaps it is slow so as to counteract the almost manic pace of other pieces, but I honestly thought my CD player had something wrong with it. This, however, is a personal quibble of mine and if you've never heard anther recording of this music, this one'll probably not annoy you. My other quarrel is with the balance within the choir and between the choir and orchestra. At times, you can hardly distinguish the singers from the players; everything sounds pleasant, but indistinct. Then, out of nowhere, the trebels erupt, over-power every other voice, and all you can hear are the soprano line, violins and timpani. I suppose this is to be expected in a choir with 16 trebels and 12 everyone elses, but this choir is perfectly capable of sounding balanced both within itself and with the orchestra, as it does on much of this recording. My eardrums and my speakers are not happy with these intermittent attacks. All this aside, I do still recommend this CD. I hope it provides you hours of listening pleasure (and not any speeding tickets)."