A magnificent performance, played with astonishing precision and led with authority by Martin Pearlman. The four soloists sang beautifully as individuals and were perfectly matched as a quartet. The trumpets and timpani outdid themselves, as did the chorus.’ Boston Globe
‘Pearlman's soloists are all accomplished.’ Gramophone
‘Boston Baroque plays magnificently...with great fervor...and great delicacy.’ Opera News
• Released to coincide with Boston Baroque’s 40th Anniversary Season, ‘Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass’ is the anticipated follow up to ‘Haydn: The Creation’ which launched the orchestra’s partnership with Linn in 2012.
• The ensemble’s concerts of the Lord Nelson Mass have received rave reviews, with the Boston Globe praising the ensemble’s ‘magnificent performance.’
• The distinctive and memorable Lord Nelson Mass, arguably Haydn's greatest single composition, stirs powerful emotions, ranging from solemnity and torment to joyous celebration.
• Boston Baroque’s performance follows the leaner, original orchestration of Haydn's manuscript including the original vocal lines (made simpler in a later edition).
• Creation soloists Keith Jameson tenor and Kevin Deas bass-baritone return for this recording, having won acclaim for their previous performances. They are joined by Mary Wilson soprano and Abigail Fischer mezzo-soprano.
• The Mass is partnered on this recording by Symphony No. 102, the most powerful, brilliant and interesting of Haydn's London symphonies, giving centre stage to the ensemble’s talented musicians.
• Founded in 1973 by Martin Pearlman, Boston Baroque is already familiar to an international audience with its critically acclaimed catalogue of recordings.
• The three-time Grammy-nominated ensemble is widely regarded as ‘one of the world’s premier period-instruments bands’ (Fanfare).
• Boston Baroque's recordings - of which Fanfare magazine wrote ‘each one is an incomparable gem’ - are heard by millions on classical radio stations in North America and Europe.
Boston Globe
'Pearlman’s soloists — soprano Mary Wilson, mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer, tenor Keith Jameson, and bass-baritone Kevin Deas — are an appropriately anguished quartet, and the performance as a whole is a fervent one…'
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The Arts Desk
‘Two masterpieces on a well-produced disc - brilliant music, performed with style.’
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Audiophilia
Recommended New Release: 'The performance of both works has the sprightliness, transparency and precision of line that typically result when baroque specialists play classical-era repertoire; I also love the recording, which adds a touch of warmth…’
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Choir & Organ
‘…a vigorously lively performance…under the exacting leadership of Martin Pearlman.’
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Chorzeit
‘…präsentieren nun Chor und Orchester von Boston Baroque das eigenwillige Werk und machen erneut unmissverständlich klar, dass es für diese Literatur keine Alternative zu alten Instrumenten gibt…’
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The Whole Note
‘Boston Baroque certainly captures the character of those times, deftly alternating huge dynamic ranges that switch from jubilant and boisterous celebration to reflective and prayerful gratitude.’
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International Record Review
'...superbly rendered...vibrant, idiomatic and fluent...'
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Crescendo
‘…ce disque est principalement dominé par une bonne humeur indétrônable. En effet, la jovialité sonore s’entend très distinctement comme elle se devine chez les musiciens heureux à leur instrument.’
Audiophile Audition
'...a wonderful release...can't be recommended highly enough.'
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New York Times
'...rhythmic verve and intensity. A fine quartet of soloists...'
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BBC Music Magazine
'...a vigorous, well paced reading of Haydn's fieriest Mass...'
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Infodad.com
'...how lively and alive that rediscovery has been - and with how much power and wonder...'
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AllMusic.com
‘...precise work on historical instruments, and for clean, bright approach free from mannerism.’
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News Observer
'An engaging Haydn... a vivid, incisive account of this uplifting music.'
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The Obersver
'a unique setting, freshly captured...'
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The Sunday Times
'The orchestra, in both the Mass and the symphony, play with a justified delight in this life-affirming music.'
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Words and Music
Disc of the Day: ‘The disc makes an impact, with its comforting mass and cheerful symphony.’
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Musical Toronto
'A boisterous Haydn Lord Nelson Mass from Boston Baroque...a sparkling performance.'
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Classics Today
'...the big moments in the Gloria and Credo come off so effectively.'
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