The third volume of Mozart’s Masses focuses on works written in Salzburg when the composer was in his late teens and early twenties. The Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis, a bright celebratory work, is the only Mass setting without soloists that Mozart composed. The Missa brevis in D major is a compact, economic setting conforming to the Archbishop’s dictates for shorter works. Its companion, the Missa brevis in B flat major, though keenly responsive and beautiful, upset church musicians because it utilised a Parisian gavotte in the ‘Dona nobis pacem’ and ended Mozart’s employment on a provocative note. Volume 1 in the series is on 8574270, Volume 2 is on 8574417.

Vol. 2 in the series was released on 8574417 in November 2022 with these same Cologne forces. MusicWeb International wrote: ‘Christoph Poppen leads a fine team of soloists, as well as the Cologne Radio Choir and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra… Lively tempi, light textures, and reserve characterise these small-scale, modern-instrument performances’.

‘The soloists…impress throughout…pure-voiced Katharina Konradi is a worthy challenger in the ecstatic Christe and Et incarnatus est, the creamier mezzo of Sarah Romberger agile in the Laudamus te, and they combine well in the Domine and Quoniam.

‘Under Poppen, K. 262’s Kyrie bowls along at quite a lick, its counterpoint muscular and surprisingly bouncy given the character of the text… soprano Carolina Ullrich is given space to float the ‘‘Figaroanticipating’’ Agnus Dei with serene eloquence’