Zelenka: Missa Paschalis; Handel: Funeral Anthem [CD]

This double CD brings together two of the most impressive sacred works of the 18th century, composed in different cultural and religious contexts - yet linked by their extraordinary expressive power: Jan Dismas Zelenka's little-known Missa Paschalis ZWV 7 and George Frideric Handel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline HWV 264. In the interpretation of the ensembles Zeronove and I pizzicanti under the direction of Lukas Wanner, these works unfold their full emotional and dramaturgical depth. Zelenka's Missa Paschalis, composed for Easter, is one of the Bohemian master's most original mass settings. It is juxtaposed with Handel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, a work of monumental dignity and haunting simplicity. The ensembles Zeronove and I pizzicanti approach these works with stylistic sensitivity and tonal transparency. Historically informed but never academic, they focus on expressive articulation, lively tempi and clear emotional expression.