MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Haydn: Schöpfungmesse / Harmoniemesse

"Gardiner's performances have tremendous drive and energy, yet he knows how to slow the pulse and allow his soloists to shine in the quieter moments. The soloists are superb, well-chosen voices offering plenty of contrast, and soprano Joanne Lunn is particularly impressive - a clean, fresh, boyish tone that soars easily and effectively over choir and orchestra."
- BBC Internet Magazine

Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and an array of top vocal soloists embark on a series of Haydn's late Masses, which will see the release of six Masses on three 2-CD sets, each at a remarkable price..

Haydn's great Masses are gloriously powerful examples of musical devotion. They are easily accessible pieces with an obvious appeal beyond the specialist consumer. Gardiner's interpretations will be eagerly awaited by the legions of enthusiasts who know and love his unsurpassed catalogue of Baroque and Classical vocal repertoire with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir.

This first set comprises the last two Masses Haydn wrote (in 1801 and 1802). These are the most fully scored of all Haydn Masses and, not surprisingly, the most symphonically impressive. The Harmoniemesse was recorded in 2001 following acclaimed performances which had critics anticipating this CD release with enormous enthusiasm.