Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Click cover art to view larger version
Track(s) taken from CDA67560

Sub tuum praesidium, K198

composer
author of text

Carolyn Sampson (soprano), The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)
Recording details: October 2005
Cadogan Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ben Turner
Engineered by Jonathan Stokes & Neil Hutchinson
Release date: February 2006
Total duration: 5 minutes 25 seconds

Cover artwork: Photograph by Johnny Greig.
 

Reviews

‘What more could you want in these works than a soloist who places every note with joyous precision, moves from one to another so cleanly, and demonstrates at every turn such intelligent but unfussy musicianship? This is a sunny and unpretentious disc which deserves to be among the successes of the Mozart year’ (Gramophone)

‘Robert King and his choral and orchestral forces give clean and direct performances in sound that is nicely balanced and benefits from the mellow acoustic of London's Cadogan Hall. The soprano focus of interest is Carolyn Sampson, whose musical sensibility and personality are exceptional … unreservedly recommended’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Sampson confirms her growing reputation in 18th-century music with delectable performances, fresh and limpid of tone, stylish and shapely of phrase. The reams of coloratura in Exsultate jubilate! are truly joyous, not merely accurate … prompt, polished orchestral playing and first-rate choral singing set the seal on a delightful and enterprising birthday offering’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘These devotional scores are models of understatement. Sampson floats exquisitely through the Agnus Dei of the Coronation Mass, maintains a serene line in Laudate Dominum from the Vespers, unearths two long settings of Regina caeli and indulgently duets with herself in Sub tuum praesidium’ (The Times)

‘This is thrilling music, rousingly performed by the orchestra and chorus. Even better are the central arias, which Carolyn Sampson sings with heart-easing grace and brilliant virtuosity. She is equally fluent in the Exsultate jubilate! rising up to a top C at the end that will have you cheering from your seat. And she sings both parts of the duet Sub tuum praesidium so beautifully as to still any disquiet at the fakery. Don't miss this’ (Classic FM Magazine)

‘Lustrous and engaging performances’ (The Scotsman)

‘Sampson's ravishing soprano has all the sparkle and purity this music needs, and the King's Consort under Robert King provides a lively foundation’ (Financial Times)

‘Carolyn Sampson gives a characteristically stunning performance, with great drama, vocal flexibility and a wide range of expressive devices … the orchestra plays with great panache and precise articulation … King's choir sings with clarity and jubilation in their brief appearances, and over-all, this recording plays ideal tribute to the early mature sacred works of Mozart written in his late teens and early twenties’ (Early Music)

«Quelle belle surprise! Carolyn Sampson nous livre un CD Mozart qui est non pas un modèle de chaleur, mais un disque de très bon goût, réussi en tout. On admirera aussi la finesse musicale de King, qui ne bouscule jamais le discours et dont les bois enrichissent très bien la palette sonore» (Classics Today France)
With no surviving autograph score of this Offertory motet, the duet Sub tuum praesidium, K198 in a variety of manuscript copies has provided scholars over the years with much scope for discussion. The first topic for many years was the identity of the composer: that has now been firmly established as being Mozart himself. The second line of enquiry has been whether the work should be performed by soprano and tenor (which would be an unusual vocal combination in Mozart’s sacred music) or by two sopranos. That line has finally moved towards the soprano duet recorded here. Another question which has concerned scholars has been whether this was originally a work for the opera house, adapted for the church, or whether it was intended from the outset as a sacred work. But all that detective work is in the end secondary, for here is a glorious Mozartian duet in his lyrical key of F major for two equal sopranos and string accompaniment. Mozart especially relishes the pairing of the evenly matched voices.

from notes by Robert King © 2006

En l’absence de toute partition autographe de ce motet d’Offertoire, le duo Sub tuum praesidium, K198, présent dans diverses copies manuscrites, a suscité, au fil des ans, bien des débats entre spécialistes. On s’est longtemps demandé qui en était le véritable compositeur, avant d’établir avec certitude qu’il s’agissait de Mozart en personne. Puis on s’est enquis de savoir si l’œuvre devait être interprétée par un duo soprano/ténor (une combinaison vocale inhabituelle dans la musique sacrée de Mozart) ou par deux sopranos—choix pour lequel on a finalement opté ici. Autre question soulevée par les spécialistes: s’agissait-il, à l’origine, d’une œuvre pour l’opéra, adaptée pour l’église, ou bien d’une pièce conçue d’emblée pour l’église? Mais tout ce travail de détective est, en définitive, secondaire, au regard de ce duo glorieusement mozartien écrit en fa majeur (la tonalité lyrique du compositeur) pour deux sopranos égaux et accompagnement de cordes. Mozart se délecte tout particulièrement de l’appariement de voix parfaitement égales.

extrait des notes rédigées par Robert King © 2006
Français: Hypérion

Das Duett Sub tuum praesidium KV198, eine Offertoriumsmotette, liegt in verschiedenen Kopien vor—das autographe Manuskript ist verschollen—und hat in der Forschung über die Jahre für viel Diskussion gesorgt. Das erste Thema war dabei die Frage nach dem tatsächlichen Komponisten; inzwischen geht man davon aus, dass es sich dabei wirklich um Mozart selbst handelt. Die zweite Fragestellung bezog sich darauf, ob das Werk von einem Sopran und Tenor (was für Mozarts geistliche Musik eine ungewöhnliche Kombination wäre) oder von zwei Sopranen zu singen sei. Man hat sich schließlich auf die letztere Lösung geeinigt und in dieser Form liegt das Duett auch hier vor. Ein weiterer Aspekt, mit dem sich die Forschung beschäftigt hat, ist, ob es sich bei diesem Duett ursprünglich um ein Werk für die Oper handelte, das dann für die Kirche bearbeitet wurde, oder ob es von Anfang an als geistliches Werk gedacht war. Jedoch ist all diese Detektivarbeit letztendlich sekundär—wichtig ist, dass wir hier ein herrliches Mozart-Duett haben, das in der lyrischen Tonart F-Dur steht und für zwei gleichberechtigte Sopranstimmen mit Streicherbegleitung angelegt ist. Mozart kostet besonders die Gleichartigkeit des Stimmenpaars aus.

aus dem Begleittext von Robert King © 2006
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

Waiting for content to load...
Waiting for content to load...