Guest, Marriner: Mozart – Laudate Dominum, Vespers & Litanies (2 CD, APE)

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Felicity Palmer, Margaret Cable, Philip Langridge, Stephen Roberts, Margaret Marshall, Ileana Cotrubas, Helen Watts, Wynford Evans, Robert Tear, John Shirley-Quirk, David Hill, George Malcolm, Choir of St. John’s College
Orchestra: Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields, The Wren Orchestra
Conductor: Neville Marriner, George Guest
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2 CD
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Decca
Size: 682 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
01. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339 – 1. Dixit Dominus Domino meo (Ps. 109/110)
02. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339 – 2. Confitebor tibi, Domine (Ps. 110/111)
03. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339 – 3. Beatus vir qui timet Dominum (PS. 111/112)
04. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339 – 4. Laudate pueri Dominum (Ps. 112/113)
05. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339 – Laudate Dominum omnes gentes (Ps. 116/117)
06. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339 – 6. Magnificat anima mea (Luc. 1:46-55)

07. Vesperae de Dominica in C, K.321 – 1. Dixit (Ps. 109/110)
08. Vesperae de Dominica in C, K.321 – 2. Confitebor (Ps. 110/111)
09. Vesperae de Dominica in C, K.321 – 3. Beatus vir (Ps. 111/112)
10. Vesperae de Dominica in C, K.321 – 4. Laudate pueri (Ps. 112/113)
11. Vesperae de Dominica in C, K.321 – 5. Laudate Dominum (Ps. 116/117)
12. Vesperae de Dominica in C, K.321 – 6. Magnificat (Luc. 1:46-55)

13. Missa brevis in C, K.258 “Spaur” – 1. Kyrie
14. Missa brevis in C, K.258 “Spaur” – 2. Gloria
15. Missa brevis in C, K.258 “Spaur” – 3. Credo
16. Missa brevis in C, K.258 “Spaur” – 4. Sanctus
17. Missa brevis in C, K.258 “Spaur” – 5. Benedictus
18. Missa brevis in C, K.258 “Spaur” – 6. Agnus Dei

CD 02
01. Litaniae Lauretanae BMV in D, K.195 – 1. Kyrie eleison
02. Litaniae Lauretanae BMV in D, K.195 – 2. Sancta Maria
03. Litaniae Lauretanae BMV in D, K.195 – 3. Salus infirmorum
04. Litaniae Lauretanae BMV in D, K.195 – 4. Regina angelorum
05. Litaniae Lauretanae BMV in D, K.195 – 5. Agnus Dei

06. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 1. Kyrie eleison
07. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 2. Panis vivus
08. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 3. Verbum caro factum
09. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 4. Hostia sancta
10. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 5. Tremendum ac vivificum
11. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 6. Dulcissimum convivium
12. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 7. Viaticum in Domino morientum
13. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 8. Pignus futurae gloriae
14. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E flat, K.243 – 9. Agnus Dei

Bread from Heaven

What Mozart might’ve done as the Kapellmeister of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna is one of the great-ifs of history. Imagine if the Mass in C Minor, K 427, was regarded as an early work? One could weep.

Insight is provided by the disc in question. K 339 & K 321 need little explanation. The Litaniae de Venerabili altaris sacramento, K 243, is a solar system unto itself; consisting of nine movements, it galvanised Mozart into showcasing his unfathomable talent. Be it the altar or the stage, his genius as a dramatist is sui generis. Just listen to how the work commences with the Kyrie – where else is one to find such `finish’? As sung by the heavenly Margaret Marshall, `Dulcissimum Convivium’ is as miraculous as the `Laudate Dominum’ from K 339. The Viaticum is unique in his output. K 195, an earlier work, is inspired too. Mozart later cannibalised the Agnus Dei from the Coronation Mass & the Missa Solemnis (K 337) for his operatic endeavours; one wonders why he refrained from raiding K 195 in a similar fashion: it’s arguably the most lucent of them all. How it fades away into the resonant silence!

Einstein said that unless one knows the Vespers above, one does not know Mozart; perhaps he should’ve widened his criteria to include the litanies as well. The offering also offers the Spaur Mass, K 258. It’s not one of his important settings of the liturgy and it has been done better elsewhere Missa Brevis / Missa Ionga.

All works are well recorded. The singing is memorable – how could it be otherwise with such an array? Predictably, Cotrubas steals the show with her rendition of the Agnus Dei in K 195. To die in radiance!

Mozart: His Time Under Heaven

Mozart’s divinely inspired genius radiates harmonic bliss in these interpretations of his compositions. Dixit Dominus, the Word of God, beckons the listener to attend to the exquisite musical voices of St. John’s College Choir, the Wren Orchestra (Guest conducting), Schola Cantorum of Oxford, and the St. Martin-in-the-Fields Orchestra (Marriner conducting). Listening to Laudate Dominum is a lovely way to celebrate Mozart any year, but particularly, in 2006!

Mozart at his richest and best . . .

I have recently joined a community choir and have had the opportunity of performing Mozart’s Laudate Dominium, through very numerous rehearsals I got to love the piece and like all complex pieces of music got to appreciate the various nuances and richness of Mozart’s wonderful creation, discovering something new at every performance. Eventually I just had to have a CD of this music performed by some professional choir so that I could enjoy it as often as I wished to at home. I wasn’t disappointed. My wife is similarly enchanted by it also.