There are recordings that are novel in concept, and those that are idiosyncratic; this one is both, which means it will appeal most to performers and listeners of a speculative orientation. It is largely the creation of Polish countertenor Jakub Burzynski, whose talent certainly can stand with those of his better-known western European counterparts. Listeners wondering whether a new "Purification Mass" of Bach has been recently discovered can be assured that the program here merely represents "music that could have been ...
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There are recordings that are novel in concept, and those that are idiosyncratic; this one is both, which means it will appeal most to performers and listeners of a speculative orientation. It is largely the creation of Polish countertenor Jakub Burzynski, whose talent certainly can stand with those of his better-known western European counterparts. Listeners wondering whether a new "Purification Mass" of Bach has been recently discovered can be assured that the program here merely represents "music that could have been performed for the feast of the Purification of Mary in Leipzig, ca. 1740." That's a stretch in the case of the final Agnus Dei (minus, for no stated reason, its following Dona nobis pacem chorus), which, although based on earlier music, was probably not composed until the late 1740s. Burzynski and his La Tempesta instrumental ensemble combine Latin mass sections with a cantata and some hymns and other pieces in German, mostly focusing on music with a prominent alto part. It is clear...
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