By the time of Emperor Joseph II’s death in 1790 Beethoven was a member of the court musical establishment in Bonn. To mark the occasion, Beethoven was commissioned to write two cantatas, one to mourn Joseph’s death and the other to celebrate the accession to the throne of Emperor Leopold II. Although Beethoven was only 19 years old at the time, both works show the embryonic marks of his greatness: intense expression and control of structure in one, and an almost operatic panache in the other. Neither piece was performed during Beethoven’s lifetime.

This release joins our highly regarded ongoing series of vocal works by Beethoven recorded by conductor Leif Segerstam with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Christus am Ölberge (8573852) appeared in June 2019, with acclaim from ClassicsToday.com: ‘the Chorus Cathedralis Aboensis and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra sing and play handsomely.’ Ludwig Van Toronto also wrote that ‘Leif Segerstam, the wild baton of Finnish music, finds just the right tempo for telling a dramatic Biblical story. The Turku Philharmonic and their local cathedral choir have both delicacy and heft, and the soloists… are absolutely topdrawer… Sensational music, brilliantly performed.’ ★★★★★

Further releases in the series include The Creatures of Prometheus (8573853), the complete incidental music to Egmont (8573956), König Stephan (8574042), and The Ruins of Athens (8574076) in its world premiere recording with the complete dialogue.

Finnish lyric dramatic soprano Reetta Haavisto is known for her beautifully sonorous voice with its buoyant and luminous tone. She previously appeared in a collection of Beethoven’s works for voice and orchestra (8573882) in November 2019.