Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Hummel's musical pedigree is unrivalled: he was taught by Mozart and later replaced Haydn as Kapellmeister at the Esterházy court on Haydn's own recommendation. So, to cut a long review short, if you enjoy Mozart and Haydn I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy this CD and at just £4.99 the uncertain can afford to take a chance. Do not be deceived by the price as the quality of performance is excellent with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Uwe Grodd, underpinning TOWER Voices New Zealand, a chamber choir of the highest calibre, along with relatively unknown soloists Patricia Wright, Zan McKendree-Wright, Patrick Power and David Griffiths. Musically there are no weak links here. The two works on offer are the "Te Deum" of 1806 and the "Missa Solemnis" in C that followed three months later. Both share the joie de vivre of Haydn without quite reaching the heights of Mozart and both are well worth hearing. 

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.