Missa Sancti Nicolai / Theresienmesse;

A superb recording of Haydn's Saint Nicholas Mass on period instruments by Trevor Pinnock conducting the English Concert. One needn't be an expert in Haydn or in classical vocal music to enjoy the brilliant clarity of the orchestra or the fecundity of Haydn's writing, and the soloists--Nancy Argenta, Catherine Robbin, Michael Schade, and Alastair Miles--are perfect. The Theresienmesse, a mass in B flat minor, is also featured on this disc. --Joshua Cody