Gewandhaus Orchestra and Choir/Chailly

Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle was an unusual choice for Riccardo Chailly and the Leipzig Gewandhaus to begin their residency at the Barbican. In its intimacy and mildly comic sensibility, this is not the most obvious showpiece for one of Europe's finest orchestras and choirs.

Nonetheless, Chailly's jaunty yet highly charged reading was fluent and convincing, and the choir (or rather two choirs - the Gewandhaus were joined by the Leipzig opera chorus) and orchestra's total commitment to the work was astonishing...