Koželuch: Joseph der Menschheit Segen (Masonic Cantata)

Vienna was a magnet for musicians across Europe in the 18th century, and among the most successful and influential were composers from Bohemia. Credited with developing idiomatic piano performance in the city, Leopold Koeluch also wrote choral music of considerable individuality. Joseph der Menschheit Segen (Joseph, Mankinds Blessing) is a powerful Masonic cantata that unusually includes Melodrama, where spoken text is followed by instrumental passages. The two sacred arias are masterful compositions and the Missa in C, though small in scale, is unusually lavish in its scoring. Klage auf den Todt Marien Theresien (On the Death of Maria Theresa) possesses a grave and subtle beauty.