It’s hard to overstate how much beautiful, excellent music has been created over the centuries, and how much of it is rarely heard by the vast majority of people. Last week I published a clip of a “Kyrie” composed by Johann Baptist Wanhal. Wanhal was an important and influential composer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who was admired by contemporary composers such as Haydn and Mozart. For a variety of reasons, even people who know little about classical music know the names of these last two, but have never heard of Wanhal . . .
. . . which is unfortunate, because his music is very much worth hearing. One of my goals in setting up this blog was to share more widely some of the treasures from our storehouse of sacred music. Last week’s election was from Wanhal’s Missa Pastoralis; today I’m sharing the magnificent “Gloria” from his Missa Solemnis:
Video:
Missa Solemnis: Gloria · Colin Ainsworth
Vanhal: Missa Pastoralis – Missa Solemnis
℗ 2001 Naxos
Released on: 2001-06-13
Ensemble: Aradia Ensemble
Artist: Colin Ainsworth
Artist: Mary Enid Haines
Artist: Nina Scott Stoddart
Artist: Steven Pitkanen
Choir: TOWER Voices New Zealand
Conductor: Uwe Grodd
Composer: Johann Baptist Vanhal
Artwork: Joseph Kastner “Angels in Heaven” from the Carmelite Monastery Church, Döbling, Austria (1906-19100
