Steven Isserlis

Haydn Overture to L’isola disabitata
Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2
Haydn Mass No. 10 in C major, Hob. XXII:9, ‘Paukenmesse’

Steven Isserlis cello
Mary Bevan soprano
Stephanie Wake-Edwards mezzo-soprano
Hugo Hymas tenor
Dominic Sedgwick bass
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral
Steven Grahl choirmaster
Marios Papadopoulos conductor

As war swept through Europe after the French Revolution, Austria looked vulnerable. Joseph Haydn feared an invasion, but put his trust in God and in music. In August 1796, he wrote a mass that reveals his unease as conflict approached. An ominous mood hangs over the haunting yet reassuring Mass in the Time of War, which forms the apex of this concert for which the Orchestra is joined by the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral and Steven Isserlis, who plays Haydn’s altogether more carefree D major cello concerto.