Biber: Missa Salisburgenis /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel * Gabrieli Consort & Players * McCreesh

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (Artist), Pater Ignatius (Artist), Bartholomaus Riedl (Artist), Gabrieli Consort and Players (Artist), Musica Antiqua Koln (Artist), Paul McCreesh (Artist), Reinhard Goebel (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 9, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B000025JQG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,166 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Missa Salisburgensis for 53 parts in eight separate choirs, often called "the Mahler 8th of the baroque," is by far the most grandiose work composed before the 18th century. Written (by an unnamed composer generally presumed to be Biber) for the 1,100th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Salzburg, it has extravagant scoring reflecting that city's enormous self-regard. This Mass is rarely performed or recorded, and probably not just because of logistical and financial constraints--the work can often seem tedious and overblown. The large number of parts and the reverberant acoustic of Salzburg Cathedral allowed for very little harmonic variety (virtually the entire Mass is in C major) or virtuoso fireworks; the music can make its effects only through variety of instrumental color and sheer massive sound. It is very much to the credit of Paul McCreesh, Reinhard Goebel, and their musicians that the Missa Salisburgensis sounds so engaging here: the grandeur is leavened with plenty of rhythmic snap, and some lighter moments sound tender and almost delicate. Unusually for McCreesh, there are no chants, prayers, or other trappings of a liturgical reconstruction; there are, however, three sumptuous instrumental sonatas and a motet included with the Mass. This may not be the most profound music of the 17th century, but it is surely among the most jubilant. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stupendous in every way, August 2, 2000

By 

William A. Smith "Polymath" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biber: Missa Salisburgenis /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel * Gabrieli Consort & Players * McCreesh (Audio CD)

I am a little puzzled by the reviewers who cite bad engineering on this disk. The dynamic range is enourmous (particularly between the second track and the Kyrie) and the disk does demand equipment to keep up with it. This is one of the most magnificent recordings of 17th century music I have heard, far most exciting than an earlier recording of the same piece. Liner notes are outstanding. This is not music of psychological depth and penetration, but rather ceremonial music on the grandest possible scale, and remarkably moving, particularly in the contexts established in the informative essay in the notes. The final motet to St. Rupert, in particular, is hair-raising. If you like Gabrieli and the Monteverdi Vespers, you will love this. McCreech is arguably the finest interpreter of this material going. This one has a permanent place on my shelf!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful ecclesiastical bombast, April 19, 2002

By 

End User (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biber: Missa Salisburgenis /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel * Gabrieli Consort & Players * McCreesh (Audio CD)

The Missa Salisburgensis has most often been attributed to Biber, and it may very well be his, though it lacks some of the more playful and virtuosic turns of much of his other work (the wonderful Violin Sonatas for example). Nonetheless, this recording is a very enjoyable one, more jubilant than masterful. This is a great, bounding, (somtimes slobbery), puppy-dog of a piece, and the orchestration, playing, and singing are all enthusiastically wonderful.
From the opening of the Kyrie on the second track (the first track isn't even part of the Missa Salisburgensis and seems totally superfluous on this disc) Musica Antiqua Koln, and co. bombard you with wave after wave of sonic joy. The instruments blend extremely well, the choirs sing brightly and beautifully and are treated with sensitivity and respect by both conductor and engineer. Recording the piece on site in the cathedral has given it awesome presence and a particularly atmospheric quality; the horns and organs sound especially good. There is some concern with the engineering, as the dynamic range is all over the map (especially between tracks one and two), but if your system can handle the range, it enhances rather than detracts from the great sonics.
All in all, this piece is not remarkably profound music so don't buy it expecting a Bach Cantata (or the incomparable B-minor Mass), but it is the very definition of a "joyful noise."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An impressive recording, February 8, 2007

By 

Steven Guy (Croydon, South Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biber: Missa Salisburgenis /Musica Antiqua Koln * Goebel * Gabrieli Consort & Players * McCreesh (Audio CD)

This is a much better recording than some of the other reviewers have indicated. It is a difficult work to perform and some of the scoring is a little vague - the "hautbois", for instance, may or may not have been oboes. Perhaps Deutscher Schalmeien were required?

Paul McCreesh employs female sopranos and male altos - the earlier Collegium Aureum recording used boys. The countertenors do sound stronger and don't seem to run out of breath, but the female sopranos don't blend as well with the cornetti and other period instruments as the boys in the earlier recording. The soloists are generally good, although I think more voices should have been used in the ripieni.

The bass sackbut really makes its presence felt on the bass lines in several movements. The cornetts are played with beauty. The trumpet choir provide great weight to the sound and the two clarino soloists play with style and beauty. The recorder consort and two oboes do tend to disappear into the tuttis - they did in the earlier recording.

The instrumental interludes provide variety and enhance the sense of occasion. The Hymnus is very impressive and even a little wild.

The Missa Salisburgensis is a very detailed and rich work. I've been listening to it and studying the score for many years. I think it is a great piece of music and certainly a landmark in the Baroque repertoire.

There is a sublime moment, an Adagio, in fact, about seven minutes into the Credo in which all the choirs and instruments play very gently and passionately - the juggernaut is becalmed - it is a moment worthy of Mozart or Beethoven. The earlier Collegium Aureum DHM recording made the most of this poignant and beautiful moment. McCreesh almost misses it. However it there and, as I said, it does provide us with a very special and exquisitely expressive moments in this generally extroverted work.

When the basses sing with the trombones choir, we can hear an echo of the music of Schütz and Gabrieli, another beautiful moment.

I think I'll still be finding interesting little details in the Missa Salisburgensis many years from now. It is the musical equivalent of one of a great Baroque painting on the ceiling of a European cathedral.