Missa Paschalis

This double CD brings together two of the most impressive religious works of the 18th century, composed in different cultural and confessional contexts - yet united by their extraordinary expressive power: Jan Dismas Zelenka's little-known Missa Paschalis ZWV 7 and George Frideric Händel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline HWV 264. In the interpretation of the ensembles Zeronove and I pizzicanti under the direction of Lukas Wanner, these works unfold their full emotional and dramatic depth. Zelenka's Missa Paschalis, composed for Easter, is one of the most original mass settings by the Bohemian master. Against this stands Händel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, a work of monumental dignity and compelling simplicity. The ensembles Zeronove and I pizzicanti approach these works with stylistic sensitivity and tonal transparency. Historically informed, but never academic, they rely on eloquent articulation, lively tempi and clear emotional organization.