Jan Dismas Zelenka - Missa Circumcisionis; Missa Corpis Domini (Václav Luks)

Information

Composer: Jan Dismas Zelenka

• Missa Circumcisionis, ZWV 11
• Missa Corpis Domini, ZWV 3

Tereza Zimková; Aneta Petrasová

Rodrigo Carreto; Tomáš Šelc

Tadeáš Hoza; Martin Vacula; Josef Kovačič

Collegium & Collegium Vocale 1704

Václav Luks, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: Accent

_____________________

For the past two decades, Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704 have championed the music of Jan Dismas Zelenka, helping to restore the reputation of this long-overlooked Czech composer through concerts and recordings. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, they present Zelenka’s Missa Circumcisionis, a large-scale and richly orchestrated sacred work composed in 1728, when Zelenka temporarily assumed the duties of Dresden Kapellmeister. Written for the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, the Mass is imbued with a festive Christmas character. The program is complemented by the later, more modestly scored Missa Corporis Domini, conducted by Václav Luks.

Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745) was a Czech Baroque composer whose career was closely associated with the Dresden court. Educated in Prague, he served as principal double-bass player and later Court Composer of Church Music, producing an extensive body of sacred works for the Catholic court alongside instrumental compositions. Influenced by studies in Italy and Vienna, Zelenka developed a highly individual style marked by bold harmony, complex counterpoint, and expressive depth. Respected by contemporaries such as J. S. Bach, he was largely forgotten after his death but rediscovered in the late 20th century. His music is now recognized as a distinctive and innovative contribution to the Baroque repertoire.

Václav Luks (born 1970) is a Czech conductor and specialist in early music, educated in Plzeň, Prague, and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. In 2005 he founded Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704, ensembles that have gained international recognition through performances at major festivals, collaborations with leading soloists, and award-winning recordings. Luks has played a key role in reviving the music of Jan Dismas Zelenka and Josef Mysliveček and in strengthening Czech-German musical ties. His work spans historically informed performance, opera, film, and collaborations with both early music and modern orchestras, earning him numerous honors, including France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.