神聖羅馬帝國皇帝利奧波德一世：宗教音樂集 Paradisi Gloria

The Habsburg Emperor Leopold I (1640-1705) made the residential city of Vienna into a
first-rate cultural centre during the period of his reign. He was himself a gifted and productive
composer. His musical talent was encouraged early on, so that he was recognised
as a musician and composer far exceeding the status of a mere dilettante. His works
are still regularly performed at concerts at Muri Monastery Church: The ancestors of
the House of Habsburg founded Muri Monastery and the Benedictine Abbey remains
affiliated with the House of Habsburg until today.

This recording features leading baroque singers performing selected works of Leopold I
together with the Cappella Murensis and the Ensemble Les Cornets Noirs under
the direction of Johannes Strobl. Two of the compositions have a personal context.
Leopold composed a Requiem Mass following the death of his first wife, and he set readings
and responsories after the death of his second wife. Both funereal compositions
are amongst the Emperor's strongest works: in them, he is able to represent personal
feelings with musical means in an emotionally moving way. The colours of the instrumental
ensemble enrich the vocal writing, which is as convincing in its well-thought-out
sequence of soloistic sections and choral passages as it is in the beauty of its melodic
ideas and harmonic simplicity.