Gosh, I love good Baroque music! And one has to love a Requiemthat starts off in a major chord. Albeit a Mass for the Dead, it soundspositively celebratory! This is one of two compositions I can think of right away that are in major chords. The other is by Jan Dismas Zelenka, and is in D major.

In comparison to most of the other requiems I have (not including the afore mentioned Zelenka), this is happy sounding, "would you care to dance", feel good baroque. It is well sung, with an outstanding tenor, and well written, with some beautiful melodies. The sopranos in the Hostias quite simply soar! It starts and ends with the same beautiful melody, horns over drums, and with chorus and soloists making counterpoint with each other. Vivaldi couldn't have done better, although I wish he would have tried...

Aside from it being a Requiem, there are not tremendous surprises here for the frequent listener of vocal Baroque church music. Most of the Masses and motets are similar in compositional style. So, were this not a Mass for the Dead it would not score as high with me as it does.

To me, there is something to be said for someone celebrating the passing of another to a new (after) life. They are free of the pain and prejudice of life. This music seems to say to me, "Let us not reflect on our loss, but on the glory of the world to come, and that our lost one has gone to it!"

May I have this minuet?

Rating: NNNN