8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Equal to the Missa Solemnis in Range and Power, December 28, 2000
This review is from: Mass in C Major Op 86 (Audio CD)
I don't know why Beethoven's Mass in C Major gets as little attention as it does, but it's at least as good as the Missa Solemnis. This recording of this piece is fantastic for two reasons: it's beautiful and it's inexpensive.
The dynamics on the Kyrie are amazing (it goes from a cresendo to a decrescendo on one word-"eleison!"), and the Gloria really is glorious. The Credo shows the power of Slovak Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra (who I'm sure must be really big in Slovakia) and the Sanctus is joyful. The ending Agnus Dei goes from contemplative to powerfully soulful (and the theme finds its way back from the Kyrie) all in the course of six minutes.
The soloists aren't famous names, but they certainly have talent. The way their voices blend and play off each other, specifically on the Kyrie and the Santus, is a credit to the ensemble. This recording is definitely a good edition to any classical or religious collection of music.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Delightful Surprise!, June 29, 2004
This review is from: Mass in C Major Op 86 (Audio CD)
Now and then I sit down and survey multiple versions of the same work in order to do a little pruning of my ever-growing CD collection. So when I got around to Beethoven's C Major Mass, I figured that my old Beecham and Kegel/Leipzig versions would stay, and this Nanut would go by the wayside.
I was wrong. This Nanut is an utterly delightful performance: it's in FAR better sound than the mono Beecham - and it's a more engaging reading than the Kegel (which I DID weed). I had initially picked up this CD because I once heard Nanut give an extraordinary live concert performance of Bruckner's 4th. I had also gotten immense enjoyment out of Nanut's recordings of Beethoven's Piano Concertos 1, 3 and 5 with Dubravka Tomsic (#3 in particular is really magical) on Point Classics and other budget labels (Pilz and Allegretto Vox). So I gave it a try - and now it's the one I will reach for most often.
So don't be like me and jump to the wrong conclusion: just because this reading is on a super-cheap budget label doesn't mean it's not a fine performance. It is!
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