Customer Reviews

Mozart - Mass in C minor / Te Kanawa · von Otter · Rolfe Johnson · R. Lloyd · Marriner

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

 

 

You just can't go wrong with The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. I was already a fan of this wonderful chamber orchestra, and became even more fanatical after hearing them preform live, here at the University of Texas at Austin.

The only thing worse than a poor chorus and weak instruments is a hissy recording. This particular recording of Mozart's Great Mass in C minor features remarkable clarity, definitely the best of all my Mozart CDs. Aside from the wonderful sound quality, the Academy seems to so elegantly capture every subtle emotion of what is perhaps Mozart's grandest sacred work. The powerful instrumentation and vocals are balanced perfectly, neither one ever trumping the other. The Academy seems at all times precisely in sync with the notes; they really "know" Mozart extremely well, and it shows.

I recommend this CD to anyone looking for a crisp and powerful recording of the Great Mass. Even in its slightly incomplete state (Mozart never got around to writing some of the Credo and all of the Angus Dei), this piece speaks as if directly from Heaven.

While it lacks the weight of, say, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, this work is pure and purely Mozart. "Et incarnatus est" may be one of the most lovely soprano arias extant. I have always admired the clarity of St. Martin in the Fields under Neville Marriner, and when you add Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Robert Lloyd and a fine chorus you have an unbeatable combination. As a bonus (actually, to pad out the CD) Philips added Mozart's sublime "Ave Verum Corpus," worth the price of the CD in its own right.

A magnificent cd. For those who find Te Kanawa a bit lifeless, this will change your view. It is a gracious performance.
There is a small, but annoying technical flaw in the track of Sanctus - which ends as if it was clipped off prematurely to avoid a cough or someone dropping a music stand. First Philips Classical CD I have bought that has exhibited a technical flaw.

Most of the mass, quite honestly, does not appeal to me and I much more prefer the Mass in B Minor by Bach. However, Mozart has some very nice pieces in the mass which include the Kyrie, Laudaumus Te, Gratias, and the Credo in Unum Deum. The soprano, Kiri Te Kanawa, is first rate and her crystal clear voice rings out with perfect clarity. Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is, quite honestly, one of the best orchestras in the world. Their devotion to presenting a well thought-out and performed work shows in this cd. The sound is perfectly clear, the soloist, chorus, and orchestra are excellent and one cannot help but get swept away in the power of the music--especially in the Kyrie. While the Baroque sound appeals to me more this CD is the premier cd out of all the copies of Mozart's Mass in C minor--A must for ANY musical fan

The chorus and the soloists are all excellent. This is a really dense piece and it is done full justice by the artists involved. Very satisfying.