The oratorio Der Kampf der Buße ind Bekehrung (The Struggle for Penance and Conversion) is among Michael Haydn's lesser-known works. The Purcell Choir together with...

The oratorio Der Kampf der Buße ind Bekehrung (The Struggle for Penance and Conversion) is among Michael Haydn's lesser-known works. The Purcell Choir together with the Orfeo Orchestra, under the direction of György Vashegyi, now present a recording of the second and only surviving part of this three-part oratorio. It is impressive, especially for its unusual scoring: All of the the five solo roles are allotted to sopranos. The artistic mixture of majestic passages, surprising turns, Baroque rhetorical figures, and virtuoso arias makes clear why later composers such as Mozart, Schubert, and Bruckner repeatedly took Michael Haydn's music as their model.