Customer Reviews

Mozart - Complete Sacred Works / Harnoncourt

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found the overall quality of the recordings and the artists to be consistently very good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this collection based on the quality of the production--this is a great way to get a complete collection of Mozart's chorals at one shot.

Having said that, it's obviously going to be a bit repetitive; it is overkill for the average listener. Unless you're certain you really want the complete collection, buying a few individual recordings will be more cost-effective. I don't regret the purchase, but I think it all depends on your level of interest.

First, let me make it clear that I didn't buy the whole set. The price and the volume is a bit intimidating, to say the least, and the sheer ubiquity of Harnoncourt recordings these days tends to breed a certain resistance in me. Therefore this review is based on the three discs I own (8, 9 and 10) - I'm withholding a star based on ignorance, not criticism. That said, I found the recordings delightful and more than once a pleasant surprise. The Masses can sound somewhat repetitive at times, but for me the real discovery was the many small and fragmentary pieces, which one doesn't come across often in other recordings. The Kyrie K.89 is a haunting vocal canon, so unlike a Mozart; the Miserere K.85, dark, powerful, with just a hint of Allegri; Kyrie K.322 and 323 little gems. The singing is clear and forceful. Contrary to the Amazon review above, I didn't find the baroque instrumentation to be a problem. I don't know if it's a good idea to buy the complete set (Amazon doesn't offer them individually, I think), but it's certainly a lot of CDs for the money -.- , and one thing I can say for sure is that there are bound to be similar discoveries for everyone.

I was just wondering why if this is called "Mozart Complete Sacred Works" why is it missing K. 20 Motet "God is our Refuge" (Psalm 46:1) Am I missing it somewhere in the table of contents?

I'm a non-musician, but have listened to a lot of Mozart. I was cataloging books at my library and popped this in, the first two CD's brought me to tears. I can picture myself praying in a gothic cathedral while listening to this. Oh that "church music" of today could even try to emulate the beauty.

This set is an adventure providing many wonderful discoveries. The C minor Mass K.427, the Coronation Mass, the Spatzenmesse, the Credomesse, the Vesperae solennes de confessore K.339, the Litanies Lauretanae and "de venerabili altaris sacramento", the Kyrie K.341--these are all vintage Mozart. The only disappointment is the Requiem, which lacks the clarity and intensity of Hogwood's.