2012 Great Sacred Masterpieces 10CD Box Sets Naxos Records naxos.com / Review Music has always had an important part to play in religious ritual. Records show that plainchant existed from as early as 3 AD, and centuries later it was to provide a foundation for early polyphony and for the great flowering of church music in the Renaissance, including the transcendent works of Tallis and Allegri. JS Bach wrote most of his music for the Lutheran church, including the magnificent Mass in B Minor and the two Passions. Handel also contributed to religious music in England, with the creation of oratorios such as Messiah which, when witnessed by Haydn years later, inspired him to write The Creation. In the nineteenth century the form flowered again with Felix Mendelssohn, himself responsible for bringing many sacred works by JS Bach back to musical prominence. He completed Elijah in 1846; a work that, although modeled on the Handelian oratorio, clearly reflected in its lyricism and use of orchestral and choral colour Mendelssohn’s own genius as an early-Romantic composer. Particular attention has been given over the years to settings of the Requiem Mass. This collection includes three versions—from contemplative Mozart, to awesome Verdi, and sublime Fauré. Without doubt, in the years to come, religion will continue to be the driving inspirational force behind many a composition. CD01-CD05 + Covers Box 400MB (4 Part) + 258MB (1 Part) CD06-CD10 314MB (4 Part) + 289MB (1 Part) CD01 Favourite Sacred Masterpieces includes Tallis Spem in alium, Allegri Miserere, Pergolesi Stabat Mater Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585) Bible - Old Testament, lyricist(s) Spem in alium Oxford Camerata / Conductor Jeremy Summerly Place of Recording: All Hallows, Gospel Oak, London, UK / Date of Recording: 21-23 January 2005 -------- Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) Il salmo Miserere mei Deus Oxford Camerata / Conductor Jeremy Summerly -------- Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) Pope Innocents III / Jacopone da Todi, lyricist(s) Stabat Mater Julia Faulkner - soprano • Anna Gonda - alto • Camerata Budapest / Conductor Michael Halasz Place of Recording: Festetich Castle, Budapest / Date of Recording: September 1994 -------- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Ave verum corpus, K. 618 Kosice Teachers' Choir • Camerata Cassovia / Conductor Johannes Wildner -------- Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) • arr. Charles Gounod (1818-1893) Ave Maria Ingrid Kertesi - soprano • Camerata Budapest / Conductor Laszlo Kovacs -------- César Franck (1822-1890) Panis angelicus Jozsef Mukk - tenor • Hungarian State Opera Chorus Camerata Budapest / Conductor Laszlo Kovacs CD02 J.S. Bach: Mass in B Minor (Highlights) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Mass Text, lyricist(s) Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (excerpts) Sunhae Im - soprano • Marianne Beate Kielland - mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg - mezzo-soprano • Markus Schafer - tenor • Hanno Muller-Brachmann - bass-baritone Dresden Chamber Choir • Cologne Chamber Orchestra / Conductor Helmut Muller-Bruhl CD03 J.S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion (Highlights) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Bible - New Testament / Christian Friedrich Henrici, lyricist(s) St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (excerpts) Peter Koves - bass • Jozsef Mukk - tenor • Judit Nemeth - alto • Ibolya Verebics - soprano Agnes Mester - choirmaster • Janos Remenyi - choirmaster Hungarian Radio Children's Choir • Hungarian Festival Choir Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Geza Oberfrank CD04 Handel: Messiah (Highlights) George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) Bible - New Testament, lyricist(s) Messiah, HWV 56 (Highlights) Scholars of London / Scholars Baroque Ensemble CD05 Haydn: The Creation (Highlights) Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Bible - Old Testament, lyricist(s) Die Schopfung (The Creation), Hob. XXI:2 (excerpts) Sunhae Im - soprano • Jan Kobow - tenor • Hanno Muller-Brachmann - bass Cologne Vocal Ensemble • Capella Augustina / Conductor Andreas Spering CD06 Mozart: Requiem Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Mass Text, lyricist(s) Requiem in D minor, K. 626 Magdalena Hajossyova - soprano • Jaroslava Horska - contralto • Jozef Kundlak - tenor • Peter Mikulas - bass Slovak Philharmonic Chorus • Vladimir Ruso - organ • Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra / Conductor Zdenek Kosler CD07 Mendelssohn: Elijah (Highlights) Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Julius Schubring, lyricist(s) Elijah, Op. 70 (excerpts) Ruth Ziesak - soprano • Claudia Mahnke - mezzo-soprano • Christoph Genz - tenor • Ralf Lukas - bass Leipzig MDR Radio Choir • Leipzig MDR Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Jun Markl CD08 Beethoven: Missa Solemnis Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Mass Text, lyricist(s) Missa Solemnis, Op. 123 Lori Phillips - soprano • Robynne Redmon - mezzo-soprano • James Taylor - tenor Jay Baylon - bass-baritone • Mary Kathryn van Osdale - violin Nashville Symphony Chorus • Nashville Symphony Orchestra / Conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn CD09 Verdi: Requiem (Highlights) Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Mass Text, lyricist(s) Messa da Requiem (excerpts) Elena Filipova - soprano • Gloria Scalchi - mezzo-soprano • Cesar Hernandez - tenor • Carlo Colombara - bass Hungarian State Opera Chorus • Hungarian State Opera Orchestra / Conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi CD10 Fauré: Requiem Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Mass Text, lyricist(s) Requiem, Op 48 Messe base Cantique de Jean Racine, Op 11 Lisa Beckley - soprano • Nicholas Gedge - bass-baritone • Colm Carey - organ Oxford Schola Cantorum • Oxford Camerata / Conductor Jeremy Summerly -------- Louis Vierne (1870-1937) Pieces de fantaisie, Op. 51: Suite No. 1 Colm Carey - organ -------- Déodat de Sévérac (1872-1921) Tantum ergo Oxford Schola Cantorum / Conductor Jeremy Summerly Place of Recording: Chapel of Hertford College, Oxford / Date of Recording: 17-18 May 1993 -------- Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Mass Text, lyricist(s) Messe basse Colm Carey - organ • Oxford Schola Cantorum / Conductor Jeremy Summerly Place of Recording: Chapel of Hertford College, Oxford / Date of Recording: 17-18 May 1993 -------- Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Jean Racine, lyricist(s) Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 Colm Carey - organ • Oxford Schola Cantorum / Conductor Jeremy Summerly