Masses
Katharina Ruckgaber, Carolina Ullrich, Elvira Bill
The grandeur of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 'Missa solemnis in C minor' (also known as the 'Weeshuismis') caused Viennese scholars to doubt whether it could have been composed by a twelve-year-old boy. The mass was written for the inauguration of a new orphanage church in Vienna with an extensive orchestra and the premiere was conducted by Mozart himself, 'to general acclaim and admiration of everyone'. Mozart often used the purity of C major in his masses - the 'Missa brevis' is a remarkable example of compactness and the 'Missa solemnis in C major' is Mozart's last complete mass. This is the fifth volume of the complete edition of Mozart's masses, a series that is very popular with collectors and has received many favorable reviews. Volume 2 received the Critics' Choice Award from the American Record Guide. Christoph Poppen conducts the Cologne Chamber Orchestra and the Cologne Cathedral Vocal Ensemble. Poppen is chief conductor of the Kölner Kammerorchester, recently appointed music director of Hong Kong Sinfonietta and principal guest conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra.
