The King's College Choir's contribution to this performance of Rossini's exquisite late setting of the Mass sounds even more sublimely beautiful in its CD form. By contrast, the rather more blatant singing of the soloists (famous names but not very well matched) sounds less agreeable. In this respect, there is still much to be said for the live Bavarian Eurodisc performance directed from the keyboard by Wolfgang Sawallisch. Schreier and Fischer-Dieskau (Eurodisc) are certainly preferable to Gedda and Kavrakos (EMI) and Sawallisch's soprano, Kari Lovaas, gives a more searching account of the Crucifixus than the affable Lucia Popp. Sawallisch's is, in general, the more revealing reading of this enchanting, moving, and occasionally disturbing work; but I wouldn't want to be without the King's Choir's singing of such things as the Kyrie and the buoyant, winning Cum Sancto Spiritu.'