Haydn: Creation Mass; Missa "Rorate coeli desuper"

Franz Joseph Haydn (Composer), Richard Hickox (Conductor), Pamela Helen Stephen (Performer), Collegium Musicum 90 (Orchestra), Susan Gritton (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Pamela Helen Stephen, Susan Gritton
• Orchestra: Collegium Musicum 90
• Conductor: Richard Hickox
• Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
• Audio CD (November 19, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B000000A6H
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,039 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of genre!, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Haydn: Creation Mass; Missa "Rorate coeli desuper" (Audio CD)

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!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Yet. Buy It., February 16, 2007

By 

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Haydn: Creation Mass; Missa "Rorate coeli desuper" (Audio CD)

After decades of listening to liturgical music from the Middle Ages through to Stravinsky, somehow, I skipped over Hayden. But now I'm discovering him, and find him comparable to, if not quite equal to the heights of Mozart and Bach. On average, his masses are at least as interesting as Handel's famous 'Messiah' oratorio, even if we don't have the great high of the Hallajeuh chorus.

If you can get this and other recordings on Chandos 'The Hayden Mass Edition', you will be pleased with what you hear, if you have any interest at all in liturgical music.