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8 CD + CD ROM

Mendelssohn’s reputation has suffered over the past century from the madness of the Nazis who banned his music, destroyed statues of him, to the rantings of Richard Wagner in his horrible little tract ‘Judaism in Music’.The fact that he was probably one of the most gifted child prodigies of all time has also tended to obscure the fact that his later works are just as remarkable as those of his youth.

A Jew who converted to Protestantism, Mendelssohn was a prolific composer of sacred music and he made important studies of J.S Bach – in fact he was instrumental in the resurgence of interest in Bach’s great oratorios in the 1820s and 30s. Bach’s influence upon Mendelssohn’s own sacred music is unmistakable, however composers such as Handel, Haydn and Mozart all played a part in creating his choral style.

Schumann commented on one of the works on this collection (Prayer – Verlieh uns Frieden), ‘ This little piece deserves to be world famous, and will indeed be so in the future. Madonnas by Raphael and Murillo cannot remain hidden for long’

This 8 CD collection contains many more such gems, and offers the listener an opportunity to discover more about the composer of Fingals Cave, the Violin Concerto, and the Italian Symphony. Mendelssohn’s genius is apparent in every one of the works to be found in this set.

This set brings together the 5 large scale choral works which marked Bach as one of the greatest creative geniuses of mankind: Matthäus and Johannes Passion, B minor Mass, Weihnachtsoratorium and the Easter Oratorio.

The box set begins with the St Matthew and St John Passions -- works that narrate the story of the Crucifixion according to the Gospels and which, due to their enormous scale and quasi-operatic structure, must have struck listeners as extremely novel in their time. Moving on, we encounter the Mass in B minor, Bach's grandiose setting of the Roman liturgy, and this is followed by the Easter Oratorio -- a celebratory, largely contemplative work in tone that, complete with festive scoring, narrates the story of the Resurrection. Bach's Christmas Oratorio completes the line-up; the second of the three oratorios he composed, it's an extensive piece divided into six parts, which documents the whole period of festivities from Jesus' birth right through to Epiphany.

Detailing a huge variety of instrumentation, matchless invention and many vigorous affirmations of Christian faith, this compilation brims with dramatic energy and depth of expression. From intimate solo passages to the full forces of chorus and orchestra, all of the works are admirably performed on the release, making it an essential buy for the Bach connoisseur.

Other information:

- Essential choral works, firmly rooted in the cultural canon of western civilisation, performed with great frequency, and never ceasing to amaze, impress and giving immense pleasure and inspiration.

- Performances of the highest artistic and technical standard, by world famous choirs such as the King's College Choir Cambridge, the Coro della Radio Svizzera, and conductors Stephen Cleobury and Diego Fasolis.

- Complete sung texts available at wwww.brilliantclassics.com.

10 CD + CD ROM

Mozart may have written masses of masses as a professional obligation, but that doesn't mean they are are merely workaday music. They tend towards a bright and joyful C major, amenable as the key is to the instrumentation of trumpet and drums that will make a joyful noise in a vast acoustic like that of the Stephansdom in Vienna, but they also include many tender arias, none perhaps more memorable than the soprano's solo in the Benedictus of the 'Coronation' Mass, though everyone will have their favourites, and indeed be able to discover many more in this comprehensive set.

Not just the Requiem and 'Great' C minor Mass, then, whose original purposes still remain shrouded in confusion, but short, simple devotionals such as the Benedictus sit Deus; all offer a pleasing call upon our attention, especially in these stylish modern performances.

11 CD + CD ROM