"Coronation Mass", K.317 / Kyrie In D Minor, K.341 / Ave Verum Corpus, K.618 / Exsultate Jubilate, K.165

This 1979 release from Philips, catalog number 13PC-108, compiles several of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most significant choral and vocal works, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Chorus under the baton of Sir Colin Davis. The collection highlights the breadth of Mozart's liturgical development, spanning from the early, exuberant Exsultate Jubilate, composed in Milan in 1773, to the profound and late-period Ave Verum Corpus. These performances reflect the established late-20th-century approach to the Mozart canon, where the grandeur of the Philips label's engineering sought to capture the dynamic interplay between the orchestral textures and the precision of the John Alldis Choir.

The album reflects the legacy of Sir Colin Davis, a conductor renowned for his interpretations of the Classical repertoire and his long-standing association with the London Symphony Orchestra. During this period, Philips was noted for high-fidelity production values that emphasized clarity and balance, aiming to bring a concert-hall presence to the listener's home. The selection of these specific works—ranging from the festive Coronation Mass to the solemnity of the Kyrie in D Minor—was designed to showcase the versatility of Davis’s approach, blending technical rigor with a sensitive, lyrical handling of Mozart’s melodies that met with widespread critical approval for its poise and stylistic integrity.