Volume 1 of Musical Heritage Society’s reissue of EMI’s complete cycle of Schubert’s sacred works comprises 4 CDs, and includes the six Masses, two Kyrie’s, two Salve Regina’s, the F minor Stabat Mater, the Tantum ergo, and the B-flat Offertory. This collection covers the entire range of Schubert’s creative life, from the early B-flat Kyrie, D 45 (1813) to the final Mass in E-flat D 950 (he finished it only a few weeks before his death in 1828). In his choral music Schubert’s vocal writing skill was evident early on, but it’s in the “mature” works that we hear the harmonic and melodic ingenuity that so characterize this great composer’s finest masterpieces.
EMI assembled an all-star cast for this project, not least of which is Lucia Popp, whose radiant tone and heavenly singing are a real draw for fans of this wonderfully talented but sadly short-lived artist. Other luminaries, such as Brigitte Fassbaender, Peter Schreier, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau all live up to their star billing, and Wolfgang Sawallisch leads the Bavarian Radio Symphony in performances of passion, polish, and pure devotion. EMI’s sound is smoother in the analog recordings than in the early digital sessions, which make up the bulk of this set. If you’re a fan of Schubert’s sacred music, you’ll find an embarrassment of riches here.
