Boston Baroque - Haydn: Lord Nelson Mass - New York Times

The political turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars raged across Europe when Haydn wrote this Missa in Angustiis (Mass in a Time of Anxiety), which came to be named after Admiral Lord Nelson of Britain. Boston Baroque, led by Martin Pearlman, performs the stormy opening movement with rhythmic verve and intensity. A fine quartet of soloists, including the bright lyric soprano Mary Wilson and the magnanimous bass-baritone Kevin Deas, jostle for the spotlight with the orchestra, which shines in the rambunctious Symphony No. 102.