Schubert: Mass No. 2 in G major, D167

These two popular 19th century orchestral masses could hardly be more different: even though there are only 40 years between Franz Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G major D. 167 and Charles Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass. While Schubert at the tender age of 18 wrote his mass - in a single week! - in the customary style at the time of the Missa brevis, Charles Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass stands out by virtue of lustrous tone colors with harp and winds - reminiscent in many places of grand opéra.

The recording of the present CD took place in March of 2007 in Munich’s Herkulessaal in the Residence and reveal Mariss Jansons, the Chief Conductor of the Chor and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in an especially deeply felt program.

Schubert and Gounod: two popular 19th century orchestral masses united on one CD.

After Haydn’s Harmony Mass the second BR-KLASSIK CD with masses under the direction of Chief Conductor Mariss Jansons.

Schubert's sacred works rarely get an outing and these benedictory performances of two of his best-loved masses are here given refined and affectionate performances in echt-Viennese idiom by the superb Vienna Boys' Choir.

As a Viennese religious and cultural centre, the Church of Saint Augustine looks back on a more than 600 year old tradition of performing sacred music and present here Schubert’s Mass in G coupled with his Mass in C.

A chorister from the age of eight until his voice broke seven years later, Franz Schubert was well placed to compose sacred music, including several splendid settings of the Mass.

His second, completed in 1815, and fourth, written during the following year, follow Mozart’s examples but with strikingly Schubertian touches such as his dramatic use of key relationships and contrasting vocal textures to express the prayerful, meditative and glorious nature of the liturgical text.

For the so-called German Mass, Schubert wrote unassuming yet heartfelt settings of congregational hymns for performance during the service.