Classical Editor: Rob Barnett
 

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KERLL Missa Non sine quare
La Risonanza/Fabio Bonizzoni
Symphonia SY 99171 53'57"

Johann Caspar Kerll (1627-93) was admired by Bach for his 'melodic ingenuity, contrapuntal finesse and harmonic audacity' and Handel 'borrowed' many of his tunes for his own compositions. This CD demonstrates easily how right they were.

Kerll was a major 17.C contrapuntalist who studied in Rome and worked mainly in Munich and Vienna. In 1658 the Emperor of Austria was personally so impressed with his music that he raised him to the nobility. Most of his 18 masses are in stile concertato with various instruments and continuo. This one was published in Munich 1689 and its unity derives from one of his Versetti for organ. Kerll said that wind or string instruments should double the voices and the manuscript specifies 2 violins and organ with violone. The single parts for each voice dictated a chamber approach and this recording uses four fresh young voices and six instrumentalists. It is celebratory music, with no hand wringing in the passages which seek forgiveness for sins, anticipating the cheerful Masses of Haydn, which were long thought insufficiently dignified and ecclesiastical. The director discusses the decisions taken, which include having the cornetto to reinforce the soprano voice in the ripieno sections.

For the Gradual and Offertory instrumental sonatas are inserted and there are several vocal compositions included for the Propers, adapting the music for the same ensemble at hand, in the way that was customary at the time.

The sound engineering is excellent. Voices and instruments sound true and properly balanced, recorded at the church in Laino, which proved an ideal venue. Full historical background and musicological discussion is included in the glossy illustrated booklet for this classy production.

If you have never considered purchasing a CD of 17C church music, try this one, and play it straight through, as I did for an unplanned extended breakfast. It will set you up for the day!

Reviewer

Peter Grahame Woolf


Reviewer

Peter Grahame Woolf


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