The exceptional esteem in which Johann Joseph Fux was held at the Imperial court in Vienna was unquestionably due to his mastery of counterpoint and the stile antico, attributes that were perfectly in accord with the conservative tastes of his employers, in particular the Emperor Charles VI, who appointed Fux as his Kapellmeister in 1715 (see ‘Fux’s Vienna’; Goldberg 15). The present disc is particularly welcome for providing a rare opportunity to hear some of the liturgical works Fux composed for the Imperial chapel.

The selection is framed by two austerely dignified settings from the Requiem, the Graduale taken from one of his three complete Requiem settings and a Libera me Domine. Several of the remaining smaller-scale works testify to Fux’s preoccupation with chant, with an Ave Regina caelorum and an Ave Maria that show the composer weaving a polyphonic structure around chant melody, in the case of the former ingeniously superimposing the solo alto chant above an instrumental trio sonata. In both instances the contrapuntal works are preceded by the original chant, which is well performed by the Grazer Choralschola. The setting of the Advent Offertory Ad te, Domine levavi also shows Fux writing in the strict stile antico, and it is little surprise to learn that it was included as an example of how such things should be done in his famous treatise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum (1725). Only in Alma Redemptoris Mater does the composer show greater interest in a more modern style. Here the soprano solo (the excellent Mieke van der Sluis) falls into clearly divided arias and is complemented by a florid trombone solo.

The performances, which also include three church sonatas in trio sonata form, are first rate throughout, making this a disc that deserves strong commendation. BRIAN ROBINS