Mozart, Aria of the Angel from “Funeral Music”, K. 42

The "Grabmusik" (Funeral Music) K. 42 was composed in 1767, when Mozart was 11 years old. Its style reflects the Italian influence predominant in church music at that time. The Vienna State Opera Chorus's All Saints' Day concert has become an institution in Vienna. Although the superbly homogeneous and subtly shading chorus plays the most important role throughout this concert, the orchestra also unfolds its warm and colorful and, at times, forceful personality. The concert in which this work was recorded took place on All Saints' Day 1986 under the musical direction of Claudio Abbado. The soloist here is the Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, whose "splendid timbre" was singled out by the reviewer of Vienna's leading daily "Die Presse."