It is pleasing to report, therefore, that the new contender is seriously competitive, both in terms of the quality of the musicianship and interpretation on display, as well as the recorded sound. It obviously helped that the recording sessions for the Mass came hot on the heels of two performances given by Wit’s Warsaw Philharmonic forces in April 2010. Following the familiar ‘revised’, final version of the score, as first performed in December 1927, this is a performance which is gripping from start to finish. The polished choral singing is a joy, with excellent pitching throughout, especially in the cruelly exposed unaccompanied entries. The orchestra’s contribution is equally distinguished. How refreshing it is to hear such ‘unhomogenised’ clarinet- and trumpet-playing.

The solo quartet also acquits itself favourably, in particular Christiane Libor, who is on spectacular form. Timothy Bentch is almost over-fervent, occasionally yelping in his urgent imploring, though he reins things in well for the moments when he is joined by the alto and bass. Further plaudits for Jarosπaw Malanowicz’s (seemingly) effortless organ solo.

As a bonus, the new Sinfonietta recording easily supplants Ondrej Lenárd’s 20-year old recording for Naxos with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. The balance is first-rate and no tiny detail is overlooked.