Composer: Jan Dismas Zelenka
Performer: Julia Lezhneva, Daniel Taylor, Tilman Lichdi, Jonathan Sells, Kammerchor Stuttgart
Orchestra: Barockorchester Stuttgart
Conductor: Frieder Bernius
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Carus
Catalogue: CAR83279
Release: 2018
Size: 233 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Missa Sancti Josephi, ZWV14
01. I. Kyrie
02. II. Gloria in excelsis Deo
03. III. Et in terra pax
04. IV. Laudamus te
05. V. Qui tollis
06. VI. Qui sedes
07. VII. Quoniam tu solus sanctus
08. VIII. Cum Sancto Spiritu
09. IX. Sanctus
10. X. Benedictus
11. XI. Osanna
12. XII. Agnus Dei
13. XIII. Dona nobis pacem
De profundis, ZWV50
14. I. De profundis
15. II. Si iniquitates
16. III. Sustinuit
17. IV. Et ipse redimet
18. V. Requiem aeternam
In exitu Israel, ZWV84
19. I. In exitu Israel
20. II. Simulacra gentium
21. III. Gloria Patri
22. IV. Sicut erat
With his Kammerchor Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius has recorded Jan Dismas Zelenka’s impressive Missa Sancti Josephi which, although already composed in 1732, is in no way inferior to Zelenka’s famous late masses. Up to now this work was not available for performance since the autograph score – the only preserved source – was severely damaged in 1945. However, a reconstruction was possible and is now available for the first time in an edition at Carus-Verlag; the recording by Frieder Bernius was also made on the basis of this edition. As always, Bernius collaborates with high-ranking soloists, including – for the first time – the young soprano Julia Lezhneva. The recording is complemented by Zelenka’s psalm compositions De profundis and In exitu Israel.
Of Zelenka’s known works (roughly two hundred pieces) only about a dozen are not religious. And so it’s no surprise that the catalogue contains heaps of masses, oratorios, requiems, psalms, litanies, Te Deums and Magnificats. He wrote all these marvels while working at the court of Dresden, where he spent the best part of his life, from 1710 until his death 35 years later. By all indications, the two successive monarchs he served liked his work a lot; but they were not his only fans. One Johann Sebastian Bach admired him enough to invite him to stay now and again, and to copy (or rather, to have his sons copy) several of Zelenka’s works. His work would only come back into fashion after his death, thanks in particualr to the efforts of Smetana, who wanted to honour musicians of Czech origin, of whom Zelenka was one. The writing still shows great harmonic daring, stuffed to the brim with unusual chromaticisms in a great melting pot of national influences: there’s North German counter-punctual rigour, of course, and Italian melodic flair – but then there is also something rarer: Bohemian and Moravian melismas, which are normally only found in the works of consciously “national” Czech composers, foremost of whom Smetana. Here we find his Mass of St Joseph, written in 1732 – making it a mature work of his – as well as some highly original psalms from the mid-1720s. The exceptional Frieder Bernius leads his his Stuttgart ensembles, the local Chamber Choir and Baroque Orchestra, which he has raised up to an international standard. This is the world’s first-ever recording of this mass.