Search - Schubert, Kloubova, Pgc :: Masses

Best complete box set of Schuberts masses for the price

Aaron Breer | 11/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The five cds in this set comes beautifully packaged in carton sleeves in a space saving cardboard box with a thin plastic covering. There are several different performers in this set but they all are good. The sound quality is great although not quite excellent. Everything but the German mass was recorded in 1996. The german mass was recorded in 1975 and is an analog recording, but it sure doesn't sound like it.



The instruments are heard loud and clear, but it sounds as though the mic is too far away from the singers sometimes. It is still good though, a much better deal than the vox box that costs almost as much. This one also comes with a few extras and a complete German mass that the Vox Box set seems to lack. It's too bad there are no samples for this one, everyone buys the one with the samples but if you just take a chance on this one, you won't be disappointed."

Unbeatable for the Price

Music Is Everything | Colorado Springs, CO USA | 10/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Schubert's settings of the Latin mass span his entire compositional output, from D105 (just after his first symphony) to D950 (just before his death), so they're an exceptional window into Schubert's development as a composer. The first two masses reveal some youthful missteps but are nonetheless very enjoyable. By Mass No. 3 (D324) we have a sense of the mature Schubert and more characteristic writing, and by No. 4 (D452) we have clear masterpieces.



This complete 5-CD set by Brilliant Classics is a compilation of recordings. The early masses (1-4) are recorded by Virtuosi di Praga under Andreas Weiser. Nos. 5 & 6 are Helmuth Rilling's recordings with the Oregon Bach Festival and Stuttgart ensembles. Also included are Schubert's Salve Regina and Magnificat--a nice bonus. The oddity in the set is the Deutsche Messe (D872), which Schubert did not number among his masses and which is virtually never performed, recorded, or included in complete sets of Schubert's masses. The reason is simple: The Deutsche Messe was probably written for an extremely limited group of musicians, so the writing is painfully monophonic.



Nonetheless, these performances are consistently very good and well-recorded. (Most of the recordings are DDD, and the ADD selections are well-mastered with no discernable tape hiss.) At Brilliant Classics' bargain prices, this is the clear winner among the competition. Enjoy."