Mozart: Complete Masses, Vol. 6 Cologne Cathedral Vocal Ensemble, Cologne Chamber Orchestra & Christoph Poppen

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo":
• 1 Mozart: Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo": Kyrie 02:10
• 2 Mozart: Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo": Gloria 03:39
• 3 Mozart: Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo": Credo 08:18
• 4 Mozart: Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo": Sanctus 01:49
• 5 Mozart: Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo": Benedictus 05:15
• 6 Mozart: Mass No. 11 in C Major, K. 257 "Credo": Agnus Dei 05:10
• Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49:
• 7 Mozart: Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49: Kyrie 01:29
• 8 Mozart: Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49: Gloria 03:45
• 9 Mozart: Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49: Credo 07:47
• 10 Mozart: Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49: Sanctus 01:31
• 11 Mozart: Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49: Benedictus - Hosanna da capo 01:43
• 12 Mozart: Missa brevis in G Major, K. 49: Agnus Dei 02:25
• Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65:
• 13 Mozart: Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65: Kyrie 01:24
• 14 Mozart: Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65: Gloria 02:08
• 15 Mozart: Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65: Credo 04:43
• 16 Mozart: Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65: Sanctus 01:04
• 17 Mozart: Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65: Benedictus - Hosanna da capo 01:33
• 18 Mozart: Missa brevis in D Minor, K. 65: Agnus Dei 02:36
• Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse":
• 19 Mozart: Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse": Kyrie 01:48
• 20 Mozart: Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse": Gloria 02:56
• 21 Mozart: Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse": Credo 03:56
• 22 Mozart: Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse": Sanctus 01:00
• 23 Mozart: Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse": Benedictus 03:21
• 24 Mozart: Missa brevis in C Major, K. 220 "Spatzenmesse": Agnus Dei 03:29
• Total Runtime 01:14:59

Info for Mozart: Complete Masses, Vol. 6

Mozart provided a steady output of Masses during his time at the court in Salzburg. The fine Missa brevis in G major was composed in 1768 when Mozart was just twelve years old. The theatrical and inventive ‘Credo’ Mass in C major, from 1776, is regarded as one of Mozart’s finest achievements from this period. The profound key of D minor for the Missa brevis, K65, reflects its use at a 40-hour vigil, while the affectionate nickname ‘Spatzenmesse’ (‘Sparrow Mass’) for the Missa brevis in C major refers to the chirping nature of the Sanctus.

This sixth volume in our complete edition of Mozart’s Masses follows hot on the tail of Vol.5 (8574638) released in April 2025. Vol.3 (Naxos 8574514) was considered ‘a splendid Mozart choral album with music that will be new to all but the most hard-core of Mozart fans, with fine studio sound from Cologne’ by AllMusic.com. Vol.2 (8574417) was an American Record Guide Critic’s Choice and described as ‘a wonderful Mozart interpreted with a “Goldilocks” sensibility that avoids stylistic extremes’, while Vol.1 (8.574270) introduced Fanfare to its ‘group of unfamiliar but talented soloists’.

The extremely strong line-up of soloists for this recording includes Chilean soprano Carolina Ullrich, whose recording of songs by Turina (Naxos 8570707) saw her described as ‘a stellar performer’ (American Record Guide) and ‘an inspired choice for this recital’ (MusicWeb International). Baritone Konstantin Krimmel also appeared in Vol.1 of this edition and has won prestigious awards such as the 2019 Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, also being named Opus Klassik Singer of the Year in 2024. German mezzo-soprano Marie Henriette Reinhold is in great demand as a soloist across Germany and abroad who has worked with conductors such as Semyon Bychkov and Herbert Blomstedt, and has recorded for labels such as cpo, Carus and Accentus Music.

From the outset of his career as a conductor, Christoph Poppen’s name has been synonymous with innovative programming and a wide-ranging commitment to contemporary music. Numerous guest conducting engagements have taken him to orchestras such as the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Detroit and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, Wiener Symphoniker, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, New Japan Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Camerata Salzburg. Poppen is chief conductor of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and principal guest conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

Carolina Ullrich, soprano
Elvira Bill, mezzo-soprano
Marie Henriette Reinhold, mezzo-soprano
Sung Min Song, tenor
Angelo Pollak, tenor
Jonas Müller, baritone
Konstantin Krimmel, baritone
Cologne Cathedral Choir
Cologne Vocal Ensemble
Cologne Chamber Orchestra
Christoph Poppen, conductor

Vokalensemble Kölner Dom
Founded in 1996, the Vokalensemble Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral Vocal Ensemble) is the youngest of Cologne Cathedral’s four choirs. It performs, in turn with the other choirs, at the Sunday Chapter Mass and Pontifical Masses, as well as the Evening Prayer, all of which are broadcast live on domradio.de.

Its repertoire includes a cappella works from the Renaissance to the present day, and its discography features recordings of Organ Masses by Vierne, Widor and Langlais, as well as the complete recording of all the Masses by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra. Concert tours have taken the choir across Europe, and it has also participated in renowned festivals, including in Rome, Loreto and Moscow. The choir has also performed numerous oratorios, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under Marc Minkowski and Daniel Barenboim. It has enjoyed a successful collaboration with the city’s orchestras for many years, including the Gürzenich Orchester Köln. In 2024, the choir performed Bach’s Mass in B minor at the XXIII Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra.

The Cologne Chamber Orchestra
is renowned for its sensitive and exceptional interpretations. Founded in 1923 with the aim of interpreting works in authentic and faithful ways, it was initially led by Hermann Abendroth and later Erich Kraack, with Helmut Müller-Brühl becoming conductor in 1963. An acclaimed tour of Switzerland with guest pianist Wilhelm Kempff in 1964 marked the beginning of the orchestra’s collaborations with numerous internationally renowned soloists, and the orchestra has subsequently toured Europe, North and South America, and Asia. The Cologne Chamber Orchestra has been organising its own subscription series, Das Meisterwerk, in the Cologne Philharmonie for over 30 years.

As Germany’s oldest chamber orchestra, it celebrated its 100th birthday in March 2023 in the Cologne Philharmonie with outstanding soloists including Martha Argerich, Michael Barenboim, Mischa Maisky, Daniel Müller-Schott and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Over 200 recordings, radio and television productions document a repertoire of more than 500 masterpieces and rarities. In September 2023, Christoph Poppen and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra completed a three-year project to record all of Mozart’s Masses alongside the Cologne Cathedral Vocal Ensemble, Cologne Cathedral Choir and the Cologne Radio Choir for Naxos. Christoph Poppen has served as principal conductor since the 2013–14 season.

Christoph Poppen
From the outset of his career as a conductor, Christoph Poppen’s name has been synonymous with innovative programming and a wide-ranging commitment to contemporary music. Numerous guest conducting engagements have taken him to orchestras such as the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberger Symphoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Detroit and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, Wiener Symphoniker, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, New Japan Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Camerata Salzburg.

Poppen is chief conductor of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, music director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and principal guest conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra. Founder and artistic director of the award-winning and internationally acclaimed Festival Internacional de Música de Marvão, he was also artistic director of the Classic Revolution festival in Seoul between 2020 and 2022, for which he conceived highly creative programmes and brought together artists from Korea and the Western world for exclusive performances in the LOTTE Concert Hall. Christoph Poppen has held a newly created chair for violin at the renowned Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid since 2021–22.

Booklet for Mozart: Complete Masses, Vol. 6