These two popular 19th century orchestral masses could hardly be more different: even though there are only 40 years between Franz Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G major D. 167 and Charles Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass. While Schubert at the tender age of 18 wrote his mass - in a single week! - in the customary style at the time of the Missa brevis, Charles Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass stands out by virtue of lustrous tone colors with harp and winds - reminiscent in many places of grand opéra.

The recording of the present CD took place in March of 2007 in Munich’s Herkulessaal in the Residence and reveal Mariss Jansons, the Chief Conductor of the Chor and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in an especially deeply felt program.