Zelenska. Photo / Supplied
Herald rating: * * * *
Verdict: Earthy testament of faith from a rediscovered master of the Baroque.
Work your way through the composers' alphabet and the names thin out when you get to the final letter, although a few of the "Z-team" have come in for major reassessments over the past few decades.
Just as Zemlinsky no longer has to bear the burden of just
being "Schoenberg's teacher", so too is Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745) increasingly appreciated as a treasured voice of the Baroque.
But should we be surprised? This Bohemian who spent most of his life working in Germany was much admired by the great Bach himself.
The Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704, under Vaclav Luks, now bring us Zelenka's mighty Missa Votiva, under the umbrella of the respected Sable Festival.
Zelenka's unpredictable genius is on full display when the brisk march of the opening Kyrie suddenly melts in and out of a slower, more mournful tempo.
After this, the Christe is earthy in its energy, with rhythms hinting at Dvorak furiants yet to come.
Zelenka had a dramatic conception of the liturgy, which you can hear when soloists sing out with and against a throbbing wall of sound in the Gratias agimus.
Luk's soloists seem to come from the ranks of the choir and their enthusiasm is palpable, especially when the mezzo-tinted soprano Stanislava Mihalcova floats the lovely Benedictus over what sounds like a familiar Bach bass.
Perhaps the recording may lack the brilliance and openness of sound we associate with the best of British on Hyperion and Chandos, and the occasional scuffle between tracks suggests this might have been a live performance.
But where else would you hear the fervour that these Czech musicians bring to their own heritage?
