Rathgeber: Missa St. Benedicti

Beckert, Matthias, Monteverdi Ensemble Würzburg

CPO 777 425-2

The Benedictine priest Valentin Rathgeber was a multifaceted composer and one of the most popular and respected creative musicians in Southern Germany. He composed some secular works (including the Augsburger Tafelkonfekt released on cpo: jpc 8472133), but most of his immense number of compositions consisted of sacred vocal works. Rathgeber is one answer to a frequently asked question: How was the sudden stylistic shift of W. A. Mozart and Viennese classicism at all possible only such a short time after J. S. Bach? The Mannheim, Vienna, and Berlin schools are usually cited in this connection, but already in the early 1720s Rathgeber turned from baroque pomp and pathos to create a new style. With his compositional ideals of brevity (brevitas), facility (facilitas), and suavity (suavitas) he wrote appealing musical of high quality. The first recording of his Mass for the Feast of St. Benedict is dedicated to the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Selected Marian compositions form the recording's second focal point. With his Mass Opus III Rathgeber published a work that was so successful that a second printing had to be issued already at the end of 1725.

CD x 1

CPO

5/4/10

761203742523