Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Johann Anton Kozeluch changed his first name to Leopold to avoid confusion with his better-known cousin, also Johann Kozeluch. Today, if either are mentioned at all, they are mere extras in the biographies of Mozart and Haydn. Leopold was a noted pianist and teacher in 18th century Vienna who was honoured with a post in the imperial court. This is his only oratorio and the focus is on a particular moment in the Biblical story: the time immediately prior to the Exodus. The dramatic tension is between Moses, sung by the tenor Markus Schäfer, and his foster-mother, the princess Merime, played by the outstanding soprano Simone Kermes. The other two principles are Pharaoh, sung by the bass Tom Sol, and Aaron, who is depicted a young man and sung by another soprano, Linda Perillo. Although this is billed as a sacred oratorio, to my ears it sounds more like an opera. There are some fine arias and Merime comes across as quite a prima donna, in the right sense. Several choruses would not sound out of place in a Mozart opera. The libretto is Italian with translation supplied. All in all, this is an enjoyable way to spend 104 minutes.

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