Search - Andreas Schmidt, Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart :: Mozart: Kronungsmesse Mass in C Major; Haydn: Missa in Tempore Belli

Haydn and Mozart without soul

HB | Fort Mill, SC | 04/13/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Everything about this CD looks good on paper. Outstanding orchestra, famous conductor, top rank soloists and one of the most prestigious labels in the classical music world. So why am I am only giving this CD three stars? Simple, the performances are extremely sterile. All the notes are there, nothing is technically wrong but the music has no feeling. If you want both of these works, you can buy them on budget labels for the same money and get additional music as a bonus. The Discover International label has an absolutely outstanding Haydn Mass No. 10. I paid only 5 dollars for it. And there are many great budget recordings of the Mozart."

A Grand sound

Peter T. Wolf | lake forest, ca United States | 09/27/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Writing, as the previous reviewer does, that this recording lacks 'soul' is difficult to interpret. That is too subjective. So let's concentrate on the performance itself. What I like was that it was with a full orchestra so that you get big sound. And in any case Levine is good at that. Bernstein when asked why he never performed any music with anything less than a full orchestra responded with; 'This music is important and it needs to sound that way'. On this recording the music sounds important. The individual singers are strong ( logical given Levine's extensive opera background) and the recording new enough to have the latest technology at its disposal.

If I have any complaint its that on a full CD a third piece of music could have been slipped in. But DG tends to do it that way."