This issue denotes the importance in Viennese musical life of the choir of the historic St Augustin Church. To judge from these performances, they are a well-trained, well-balanced group under their present conductor Friedrich Wolf and here bring Schubert's early B flat Mass into the CD catalogue. The work is notable for anticipating some of the beauties and subtleties of Schubert's later, more mature Masses, but it is, on its own account, a finely integrated and enjoyable piece, if never panicularly striking in content or inspiration. On this disc it receives keen advocacy. The Deutsche Messe of 1827, to words by J. P. Neumann, is a rather naive offering, not surely intended for immortality, except perhaps as comprising joyfully unassuming pieces to be sung by a choir or congregation in church.
No, undoubtedly the most worthwhile music here is that by Mozart. But unfortunately Wolf's choir run up, in the Ave verum, against numerous competitors, among them a new version by Stephen Cleobury (EMI) on a CD that also contains the Vesperae complete, with Lynne Dawson as soloist in the ''Laudate Dominum''. Brigitte Poschner sings the aria with refined tone and feeling but isn't quite in the Dawson class. The recording is no more than adequate.'