Liechtenauer: 4 Masses, Op. 2 (CD)

We know relatively little about the composer and church musician Paul Ignaz Liechtenauer. His father was an organ builder and organist in Vienna, and Liechtenauer himself served as Kapellmeister in Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein until 1711. By 1715, he had taken up the position of organist at the Cathedral of Osnabruck, soon after assuming the title of "Capellmeister" and gaining a reputation for his liturgical music that was widely acclaimed. Four of the six masses he published in 1741 as Opus 2 are now featured on the latest CD by the Kolner Akademie, which, under the direction of it's founder, Michael Alexander Willens, once again astonishes us. There is a touch of local patriotism in this release: classic production osnabruck is located less than ten kilometers from the high church where the composer served for over 40 years.