Starring Julia Lezhneva, Ottavio Dantone and Accentus, this live recording brings a new and fresh light on Rossini's most famous choral work. The concert took place in Paris - the Basilique de Saint-Denis - to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the work, first performed in March 1864, in Paris. The amazing quality of the solo voices meets the dynamic direction of Ottavio Dantone and is supported by the vocal dexterity of accentus chamber choir.

The booklet notes state: “Because of its uncommon instrumental forces, the ‘chamber’ version of the 'Petite Messe', for two pianos and harmonium, was long regarded as the definitive version; the orchestration Rossini made in 1867-68 was viewed as merely an arrangement. In his recent critical edition, Davide Daolmi presents a different interpretation, which makes the orchestrated version the culmination of a long genetic process, begun in 1862, in which the ‘chamber’ version is merely an intermediate stage. The posthumous premiere of the definitive version of the 'Petite Messe', which was also the work’s first public performance, took place at the Théâtre-Italien on 28 February 1869, the anniversary of the composer’s birth, with Gabrielle Kraus (soprano), Marietta Alboni (contralto), Ernest Nicolas (tenor), and Luigi Agnesi. It was at once a triumph and a highly emotional occasion. A few years later, on 30 May 1876, Verdi was to conduct his 'Messa da requiem' in the same theatre, thus continuing the homage to the great Italian composer.”