Franz Joseph Haydn
Messe

Compared to the vast catalog of compositions by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809), the Masses form a rather small group. This limitation is partly due to the lack of interest in Sacred Music shown by Prince Nicolaus Esterhazy, at whose Court the Austrian composer served for almost thirty years, from 1761 to 1790.

Of the 14 Masses known to us (excluding doubtful attributions), the last 6 were written on commission between 1796 and 1802, to celebrate, among other things, the name days of Princess Marie Hermenegil, the wife of Prince Nicolaus's nephew, Nicolaus II.

We are, therefore, in the full artistic maturity of one of the greatest composers of the 18th century, second only to the "divine" Mozart not due to genius but to notoriety for posterity. Of the classical triad Mozart-Haydn-Beethoven, "Papa Haydn" is perhaps the least considered in the discography, especially in the genre of the Mass.

Thus, welcome is this collection of 2 CDs at an economical price from EMI, which revives recordings from the late '80s by one of the specialists in 18th-century Sacred Music, Neville Marriner, to whom we owe, among other things, a splendid complete set of Mozart's Symphonies.

The collection includes 3 of the last 6 Masses, along with a little gem, the "Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo" Hob.XXII:7 from 1770, also known as "Kleine Orgelmesse", due to the presence of the obbligato organ in the Benedictus (NB: almost all of Haydn's Masses can be easily distinguished thanks to a not always appropriate nickname).

For those who wish to purchase this collection, I suggest starting the listening with this Mass, as the reduced ensemble (solo soprano, choir, strings, organ, and b.c.) allows the listener to easily grasp the majestic and solemn writing of the Austrian composer, rendered with remarkable liveliness and measured exaltation by the English conductor. The heart of this Mass is surely the Benedictus, where the organ dialogues in celestial harmony with the warm tone of the soprano Barbara Hendricks. The intimate tone of the concluding Agnus Dei brings out the lower register of the choir, which is forgiven here and there for a few small pronunciation errors ("miserire," "dona nobis pazem").

The "Missa Sancti Bernardi de Offida" Hob.XXII:10 (aka "Heiligmesse" due to an ancient choral cited in the Sanctus), composed in 1796, features a larger ensemble, with the participation of more solo voices (2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and 2 basses), concentrated, however, in the only two sections of the Gloria and the Credo. Here, the absolute protagonist is the choir, which delivers all the complex polyphonic architectures of Haydn's writing with precision and beauty of intonation, influenced by the grandeur of Handelian oratorios heard by the composer in London.

Completely different emotions emerge from listening to the "Missa in angustiis" Hob.XXII:11 ("Nelson Mass") from 1798. The key of D minor already brings out, from the first bars of the initial Kyrie, a darker tone, at times more akin to a Requiem Mass. The solo voices (2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass) intervene more frequently in the rich Haydnesque textures, even in the form of a quartet. The use of trumpets and timpani highlights, by contrast, the sections where the writing becomes brighter or even faintly luminous.

The Missa Hob.XXII:12 ("Theresienmesse") which concludes the collection is another masterpiece of Haydn's writing, in which the supposedly devotional purpose combines the contrasting elements of almost chamber-like orchestral writing and almost theatrical vocal treatment, with not a few references to the Salzburg Master. The Benedictus is a clear example, with the main theme presented by the strings, later taken up by the choir and soloists, reminiscent of a comedy finale, with actors and chorus on stage to recall the moral of the story.

The moral remains the same: you can't do without Haydn, especially when someone tells us about him with such invaluable pleasure.

Well-curated EMI edition, with the 4 Masses remastered in different years but always recorded in the same Lukaskirche in Dresden. The recording enhances the voices and choir in the foreground, which are always open and intelligible. Only the orchestra seems, at times, not very incisive, especially in the bass line, due to excessive reverberation. Nothing worrying, if what emerges is a choir like that of the Leipzig Radio.