Zelenka / Collegium 1704 / Luks Missa 1724 CD

Jan Dismas Zelenka, the greatest genius of Czech Baroque music, was rediscovered only in the last 20 years and has since then experienced a great renaissance. Zelenka was employed as a musician at the Dresden court under August the Strong and later his son Frederick August II, where he wrote splendid church music works for his Catholic regent. The Prague Collegium in 1704 has been promoting Zelenka's magnificent music for many years and has already produced four highly acclaimed albums with music by this outstanding composer. The new release is dedicated to several magnificent settings of individual mass parts from the years 1724-25. These pieces are characterized by a similar (large) instrumentation with oboes, bassoon and three trombones, which colorfully complement the strings. Vaclav Luks has combined these individual movements into a "Missa 1724" and, with the soloists, the choir and orchestra of his Collegium 1704, he let's this wonderful music resound again for the first time in an accustomed excellent interpretation.