2023 Approaching 60,000 reviews and more.. and still writing ...	Search MusicWeb Here

Searching Musicweb Monthly index Recordings of the Year Label index Masterwork index Series index Search engines Review Archive Classical Downloads Jazz Concerts Nostalgia Books Film music Resources Composer pages Tony Duggan's Mahler National Discographies Mark Morris's Guide to C20th Composers Ralph Moore's Surveys Online books Piano Trio Survey Cello Concerto Project Pot Pourri - Early MusicWeb Gerard Hoffnung Arthur Butterworth's columns Philip Scowcroft's British light music Interviews Programme notes MusicWeb Listening Studio Talking about Books Other material Articles Seen & Heard Message Board About Musicweb About Musicweb Contact Musicweb Contributors What they say about us Visitor stats Site Map

Founder: Len Mullenger (1942-2025)                          Editor in Chief:John Quinn

BUY NOW  AmazonUK   AmazonUS

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) A Mozart Celebration from Stephansdom - A Celebration of the Wiener Sangerknaben (Vienna Boys' Choir) Church Sonata in C major, K.278 Mass in C minor, K.427: Credo. Et incarnatus est Graduale "Sancta Maria, mater Dei", K.273 Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K.339: Laudate Dominum Coronation Mass  in C major, K.317: Kyrie. Gloria. Credo.Sanctus. Benedictus. Agnus Dei Ave verum corpus, K.618 Litaniae Lauretanae, K.195: Agnus Dei Church Sonata in C major, K.329 Sandrine Piau (sop); Dietmar Kerschbaum (ten); Wolfgang Bankl (bass) Unnamed soprano and alto soloists from the Wiener Sangerknaben (Vienna Boys' Choir) Chorus Viennensis and Wiener Sangerknaben Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra/Bertrand de Billy rec. live, Domkirche St. Stephen, Vienna, 27 January 2006 Picture Format 16:9. Sound; PCM Stereo. DD 5.1. DTS 5.1. Subtitles in Latin, English, German and French Bonus: Mozart in Vienna. A film by Marieke Schroeder with the participation of Daniel Barenboim, Angelika Kirchlanger, Thomas Quasthoff, Peter Sellars and others. EUROARTS DVD 2055168 [68:00 + 59:00 bonus]

Error processing SSI file

The opening pictures giving a view of the church are superb (Ch.1) and the photography never falls below that high standard. The concert is of a wide selection of Mozart’s religious music. It takes place within the quite magnificent setting of the Domkirche St. Stephen. The camera’s movement around the architecture and ornamentation of the building adds significantly to the enjoyment of the concert.   The boys of the Wiener Sangerknaben (Vienna Boys Choir) are in their traditional sailor suits whilst the men are in dark suits. The soloists are situated at the front of the small orchestra. The programme consists of orchestral pieces and combinations of the choirs and soloists. The boys’ choir is something of a disappointment. Far too often they have their heads down into their scores (Ch. 6) resulting in poor vocal projection into the warm, but not over-reverberant, acoustic. I was also disappointed in the vocal quality of the choristers chosen as soloists in the Coronation Mass excerpts where their tonal colour is distinctly thin (Chs. 7-12). It is many years since I heard the Vienna Boys live, but I well remember the purity and excellent range of their voices. On this evidence the choristers in the British cathedral choir schools are significantly superior. Of the named soloists the soprano Sandrine Piau sings the Et incarnatus from the Mass in C minor (Ch. 4), the Laudate Dominum (Ch. 6) and the Agnus Dei (Ch 14). Although she makes good efforts at phrasing and expression, her voice fails to soar. It needs bringing forward and projecting. Of the two men, the bass of Wolfgang Bankl is particularly pleasing and his firmness in the Coronation Mass is a particular strength. In the orchestral items (Chs. 2 and 15) Bertrand de Billy conducts briskly with well-pointed rhythms. The well-wrapped audience show a cultured appreciation.   A major value of this issue comes in the bonus of Marieke Schroeder’s documentary on the subject of Mozart’s last ten years in Vienna. It describes a capital city of two hundred thousand citizens, some living fifty to a house! It was a particularly interesting time in Vienna with Emperor Joseph, who commissioned Cosi fan tutte, intent on reform. It was a turbulent time for Mozart, particularly after the Emperor’s premature death and him not a favourite at the Court of his successor. Using Mozart’s writings, contemporary scholarship and interviews with renowned artists from music and opera production, the film investigates the changing picture of the composer from the 1780s to the present day. In the process it takes the viewer to the very heart of modern Vienna. There are some fine musical excerpts.   The concert component of this DVD would have been a lot better with a quality soprano and better rehearsal for the choir. However, musically it does present a diverse range of Mozart’s religious music and can be recommended as such. Mozart and Vienna lovers can enjoy the bonus many times over.   Robert J. Farr   BUY NOW  AmazonUK   AmazonUS   Advertising on Musicweb Donate and keep us afloat   New Releases All Naxos reviews All Hyperion reviews All Foghorn reviews All Convivium reviews All Acis Reviews   All Divine Art reviews   All Lyrita Reviews   Obtain 10% discount

Return to Index

Error processing SSI file