Haydn’s Nelson Mass
The City of Oxford Choir celebrates 20 years under the Musical Direction of Duncan Aspden, with the collaboration of Instruments of Time and Truth.
Soloists
Charlotte Bowden – Soprano
Bethany Horak-Hallett – Mezzo Soprano
Thomas Elwin – Tenor
Edward Grint – Bass Baritone
Programme
Haydn Nelson Mass (Missa in Angustiis)
Mozart Vespers K339
Beethoven Elegischer Gesang
Mozart Regina coeli K276
Haydn’s Nelson Mass, also known as the Mass in Troubled Times, was written during immense geopolitical uncertainty, with Napoleon threatening Austrian sovereignty at a time of economic upheaval for the nation. The resulting work is often described as the composer’s greatest composition, exuding triumphant jubilation amidst dramatic darker passages.
Haydn’s masterpiece will be accompanied by Mozart’s energetic settings of the Solemn Vespers, his final piece written for Salzburg Cathedral, with each movement expertly dancing around the musical demands of his conservative employer. Our programme is supported by two smaller works: Regina Coeli, another Mozart work, and Beethoven’s more contemplative Elegische Gesang.