Beethoven Missa Solemnis, W. Christ
Ludwig van Beethoven's emotive Missa Solemnis in D major, Op 123, is a setting for the Mass that is often referred to as the sacred counterpart to his astonishing Ninth Symphony. This performance, at Verona's Teatro Filarmonico, is sung by a quartet of vocal specialists along with the highly respected choir and orchestra of the Fondazione Arena di Verona. Wolfram Christ, the illustrious first viola of the Berlin Philharmonic and a renowned conductor, too, takes to the podium in Verona for this highly personal and moving concert.
Dedicated to Beethoven's benefactor, Archduke Rudolf of Austria, who also served as the Archbishop of Olomouc, Missa Solemnis was the composer's second mass setting. He had previously written one in C major, Op 86, which was first performed on 13 September 1807. Beethoven began working on a new, solemn musical setting for the Mass in 1819, completing the work in 1823. In a letter Beethoven penned during the work's composition sometime in 1822, he referred to Missa Solemnis as his greatest work to date. Despite the religious nature of the music, the premiere took place in a secular setting. Its debut was performed at the Philharmonic Society in Saint Petersburg on 7 April 1824.
Beethoven arranged Missa solemnis in five movements, each of which corresponds to the first five sections of the so-called Ordinary Mass, as distinct from the proper and common masses. It opens with a Kyrie, predominantly in D major, followed by a Gloria that, at times, shifts key from D major to A major and D minor. A Credo follows, which opens in B-flat major, moving to D minor and F major before returning to B-flat major. A march-time section of music opens the ensuing Sanctus movement, which initially returns to the D major before shifting again, this time to G major. The final, fifth movement, the Agnus Dei, opens with a tender adagio in B minor before returning to the home key in an allegretto vivace section. Throughout, the music constantly shifts time signature, tempo and key, thereby creating a representation of human emotion that covers everything from strife and grief to hope and spirituality.
Wolfram Christ is a conductor who stands for sincerity and musical integrity. Frequently lauded for his exhilarating and sensitive interpretations, Christ has performed all over the world. For a time, he served as the Chief Conductor of the Kurpfalz Chamber Orchestra Mannheim and, later, as the Principal Guest Conductor of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra. With four talented soloists and a superb choir and orchestra to work with, the maestro's rendition of Missa Solemnis at Teatro Filarmonico is sure to be a powerful musical experience.