Libretto languages: English, French, German, Latin
Time: 110:32
Review
Since the additional movements of the Roman Catholic Mass (Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Credo) that appear in his B minor Mass were excluded, Bach's four missa breves (short masses) are essentially two-movement Lutheran works. Naturally, Bach being Bach, he subdivided the expansive Gloria into five shorter movements; set the texts as arias, duets, and choruses; and used an orchestra ensemble including strings, flutes, oboes, trumpets, and organ as a powerful and colorful accompaniment. But at the heart of all four works is the austere faith of Martin Luther, and the German reformer's strength, severity, and occasional sentimentality is at the spiritual core of Bach's sacred music. Superbly sung here by the eight-voice Cantus Cölln led by Konrad Junghänel, Bach's missa breves are heartfelt and sincere, with yearning intensity in both the solos and the choruses. Accompanied with a deft sense of style, and splendidly recorded by Harmonia Mundi in early 2006 in L'église St. Osdag in Neustadt-Mandelsloh, the Junghänel and Cantus Cölln's recording of the missae breves will warm a lot of hearts. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide
