Of his numbered masses, Anton Bruckner's Mass No. 3 in F minor is the most expansive and symphonic, as well as the most recognizable in style, and it is generally regarded as his finest work before he moved to Vienna and concentrated on composing symphonies. Written for a quartet of vocal soloists, a four-part choir, organ, and orchestra, it is rich in vocal textures and instrumental sonorities, and the highly contrapuntal music anticipates the chorales and fugues that dominate Bruckner's later symphonies, though their ...
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Of his numbered masses, Anton Bruckner's Mass No. 3 in F minor is the most expansive and symphonic, as well as the most recognizable in style, and it is generally regarded as his finest work before he moved to Vienna and concentrated on composing symphonies. Written for a quartet of vocal soloists, a four-part choir, organ, and orchestra, it is rich in vocal textures and instrumental sonorities, and the highly contrapuntal music anticipates the chorales and fugues that dominate Bruckner's later symphonies, though their presence here is more organic and integrated with the liturgical text. In this 2014 Tudor hybrid SACD release by Robin Ticciati and the Bamberg Symphony, the singing receives focused attention, and soprano Elisabeth Müller, alto Anke Vondung, tenor Dominik Wortig, and bass Franz-Josef Selig are prominently featured in their solos and ensembles, while the Bavarian Radio Choir carries the bulk of the music and maintains a strong presence throughout. However, the orchestra is an essential...
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