Missa Solemnis [Blu-ray]

As an experienced choral singer and director, I must say that the "MIssa Solemnis" is the most physically demanding choral work I have sung, both under George Szell and Robert Shaw, but it was a fascinating challenge and experience.This excellent performance by the Royal Concertgebouw under Nicolas Harnoncourt was both visually and aurally satisfying in its BluRay format, and I enjoyed the musicianship of the chorus and the soloists. Maestro Harnoncourt did not conduct with as much passion as I expected, but that did not detract from the performance, and the forces obviously have great love and respect for him.My personal preference would be for a somewhat larger choral group, as some of the most powerful choral sections were a little over-balanced by the demands of Beethoven's orchestra. However, this is by far the best DVD experience I have had with the Missa Solemnis.

On Feb. 13, 2010, Christian Thielemann conducted this performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis at the Semperoper in Dresden to mark the 65th anniversary of the destruction of the opera house in 1945 and the deaths of thousands of men, women, and children -- noncombatants -- who were lost in the Allied firebombing of the city that began on that day. The concert also coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Semperoper's reopening. International dignitaries in attendance included Mikhail Gorbachev (on whom the camera rests for a few moments as the orchestra tunes up), who had led the way to German reunification and who was honored the next day with the Dresden Peace Prize. Heightening the stakes of the event, Thielemann was stepping onto this worldwide platform after having just been elected as the Staatskapelle's new principal conductor. Massive choral and instrumental forces were assembled, including four of the world's outstanding soloists -- soprano Krassimira Stoyanova, mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca, tenor Michael Schade, and bass Franz-Josef Selig.It was, indeed, no ordinary occasion. It was observed with no ordinary performance, which was met with no ordinary reaction from the assembled audience. Fortunately, the proceedings were recorded by Unitel Classica and issued in 2011 on this Blu-ray by C Major.Thielemann presided over this monumental Beethoven composition -- which, fittingly for the occasion, prophesies the dangers of wars to come -- with impressive composure, conducting with no score, no baton, calling no attention to himself. And when the massive work had shaken the heavens and plumbed the soul, the subdued finale, the Agnus Dei, solemnly pleads, "Have mercy on us." It's not the blazing, triumphal ending of the Ninth Symphony. Beethoven's different goal in the Missa perhaps accounts for its not being as popular or as widely recognized as the masterpiece it is. The martial sounds that intrude are disquieting, make us look over our shoulder, remind us that the peace of the Benedictus is a fragile thing, continually threatened by the chaotic, outside world -- as it was during World War II and as it continues to be in the 21st century.The work's fading into a troubled sleep at the close often leaves listeners uncertain how to respond. In Dresden, on this day, the most remarkable thing happened. When the Missa arrived at its destined end, the members of the audience, silently, with no applause, began rising to their feet until every single person in the entire house, including those in the orchestra and choir, were standing -- and remained so, in solemn acknowledgement, with a motionless Thielemann continuing to face the orchestra. After several minutes, the audience gradually, in unspoken agreement, began filing out of the hall, individuals exchanging not a word, lost in their own meditations. It's the most moving tribute to a concert performance I've ever seen. Each time I watch it, or even think about it, I feel the emotions rise up. This audience knew how to pay tribute to Beethoven's massive edifice -- and take its warning to heart.Besides Thielemann, concertmaster Matthias Wollong deserves to be singled out for praise. After having listened to Klemperer's EMI LP and CD for decades, I thought I would never hear another violin so perfectly float down its angelic blessings on the world at the beginning of the Benedictus. I was wrong. Among the soloists, Garanca is especially impressive. If her intoning "Benedictus" following the violin solo doesn't melt your heart, you don't have one. Ironically, but perhaps appropriately for this most sacred of secular pieces or most secular of sacred pieces, Garanca looks more enticing in the severity of a black gown than she does parading as Carmen with the Met.Unfortunately for this moving and beautifully filmed performance, the sound engineers have favored the sopranos and shortchanged the basses. Perhaps that's why bass soloist Selig is often inaudible, even when the camera focuses on him. Amazon's catalog contains other worthy DVDs and Blu-rays of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. But despite the slight imbalance in the audio track, there's not another like this one.

I was inspired to purchase this Blu-ray of the Missa Solemnis by Robert Levine's 10/10 review at Classics Today, and I was not disappointed.Harnoncourt gives both clarity and coherence to this sprawling work. As Levine says, "The overall effect of the Missa under Harnoncourt is one of a ceremony, one in which there are emotional outbursts that nonetheless are part of the structure and fabric." The introverted sections are treated with the utmost tenderness, and the extroverted ones are bracing with no hint of bombast.This disc is perfect in every respect. The top-notch soloists (Marlis Petersen, Elisabeth Kulman, Werner Gura, and Gerald Finley) are well matched and work as part of the team. The Netherlands Radio Choir is excellent. The ambience and acoustics of Amsterdam's Concertgebouw are justifiably world renowned. And the videography and recorded sound (contrary to another reviewer) leave nothing to be desired.Heretofore, my Missa of choice has been James Levine's 1991 CD with the Vienna Philharmonic. But from now on, when I want to listen to (and view) the Missa Solemnis, I will turn to Harnoncourt and the Concertgebouw.Addendum (November 2013): This recording continues to astound and delight. James Altena gives a highly favorable review in Fanfare (November/December 2013). He praises Harnoncourt's "extraordinary ability to to sustain dramatic tension at every moment, even during the most quiet and intimate passages" and describes the vocal quartet as "among the strongest ever assembled for a recording of this work."

The Amazon reviews of this recording are a total mess because many of them refer to different recordings by different conductors. I bought this Blu-ray because of a number of superlative reviews. It is difficult to get Beethoven's Missa Solemnis precisely right and my favorite has always been Bernstein's recording, many years ago, also with the Concertgebouw. This recording lives up to the stellar reviews. If it were possible to give six stars I would not hesitate. A transcendental recording.

Amazing recording. They must have hand-selected the singers because I have never seen any of them, but their voices complement each other very well. I also discovered their first chair violinist Liviu Prunaru through this recording. My favorite "Benedictus" recording comes from this performance.

After listening only to part one, I felt compelled to spread the word: this is one of the greatest documents created in our times. What tenderness, restraint, radiance, subtlety, dignity, beauty, and glorious harmony! Nothing could reach closer to the sublime. I have hundreds of terrific classical DVDs, but this jumps to the top of the list.

Unlike most of Harnoncourt's work, I like this performance very much.

Perfect!

Christian Thielemann has just given us his remarkable set of Beethoven symphonies on DVD. With his new orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle, a quartet of very good soloists and the outstanding Sächsischer Staatsopernchor he now presents what I see as the logical and transcendental summation of all of Beethoven's works: the Missa Solemnis. The DVD competition is stiff. There is Bernstein's inimitable 1978 rendition in still acceptable sound and film, a very special interpretation by Michael Gielen (1986, nla), my long-time favorite, Sir Gilbert Levine's deeply felt and impressive reading and, finally, Fabio Luisi's recording (both 2005) with the same orchestral and choral forces as Thielemann's. The latter two certainly invite comparison: a comparison from which I'll refrain, because I can not quite warm up to Luisi's reading for purely subjective reasons. Thieleman and his excellent ensemble shine in every respect. Tempi are deliberate, as could be expected, but never drag. Despite the very large number of musicians in attendance, Thielemann keeps the sound stage as transparent and detailed as possible: this is one of his trademarks as a conductor. Without baton, he shapes every phrase, every motif to perfection, never losing his grip on the incredibly long thematic lines and on the whole beauty of this monumental edifice. I found myself spellbound by his moving interpretation, by the cohesion of everything and by his rapt attention to the score which totally involves all concerned as well as the listener. The uncompressed sound and the video are perfect. Get this and you will be elated. Now I wish, as a counterpoint, for a Missa from Paavo Järvi and his Bremer Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie: if wishes were fishes...***Magnificent! Five StarsThe following review deals with Nikolaus Harnoncourt's recording of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, NOT with Christian Thielemann's performance of the same work (please see my review there). Apparently there has been some confusion at Amazon about these two versions, and various comments - including the perceptive review by my much-esteemed fellow-reviewer Ian Giles -- have not been assigned properly.We have been blessed in recent years with a slate of remarkable interpretations of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis on DVD, including Gilbert Levine's, Fabio Luisi's (both 2005), John Nelson's (2010) and Christian Thielemann's (2011) readings of what I dare consider - damn the torpedoes - the composer's greatest achievement. Direct comparisons of these readings are problematic, not only because the Missa appears to lend itself to a great variety of approaches in style and genre (as a mass, as a cantata, as a symphony with chorus and soloists, a deeply spiritual piece and/or a monumental, if unorthodox struggle with the transcendental), but also because of the very distinctive differences in the respective conductor's relationship to the score - differences which often become obvious already after several bars in the opening movement. These differences also may account, at least in part, for certain variances in the performances' tempi (total time Levine: 85 min., Luisi: 88 min., Nelson: 80 min., Thielemann: 90 min., Harnoncourt: 99 min.), however the "objective" timings can be quite deceptive: when listening to any given performance, the tempi regardless of their clock timings will sound "right" or "wrong" to you.Harnoncourt's reading, presented in splendid Blu-ray video and audio, recorded live in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw during concerts in April 2012, is a case in point: though every individual movement is taken slightly slower than by Thielemann, the tempi feel perfect to me. Needless to say, the RCO musicians - in wisely somewhat reduced complement - play like archangels, and thanks to the recording and the collective level of excellence, every instrumental solo shines out. This transparency of orchestral textures is an essential part of the Missa's aesthetics too often sadly blotted out, especially in elephantine readings of past generations. The Netherlands Radio Choir (at home in Hilversum, if I remember correctly) is wonderful from beginning to end. Likewise, the vocal soloists are first-rate. They are placed behind the orchestra directly in front of the choir, presumably to avoid any showcasing or even the tiniest hint of an "operatic" illusion. If they seem a bit taxed on a few occasions, this is more than plausible considering Beethoven's merciless demands on his singers.When I call this performance "magnificent" in this review's heading, it is in want of a better term: it is absolutely moving, spellbinding, enormously powerful in the more extraverted parts (Gloria; et resurrexit; the et vitam venturi fugue in the final pages of the Credo, the Hosanna) and deeply spiritual, infused with transcendental beauty in the more introspective passages. Concertmaster Liviu Prunaru (who is, to my dismay, not credited in the notes) gives a luminous, heavenly beautiful and, at the same time, unsentimental solo in the Benedictus. From the assertive, almost challenging Kyrie through the exuberant Gloria, the multi-faceted Credo, the festive Sanctus and tender Benedictus to the somber Agnus Dei - everything is done splendidly. Nikolaus Harnoncourt pauses and sits down for a few minutes both after the Gloria and the Credo, thus letting the music resonate in the ensuing silence. This is a very personal account of the Missa second to none. Enthusiastically recommended.

Prequel:My thanks to a reader who has found this review wrongly listed by Amazon under the disc by Harnoncourt as well as being correctly listed under Thielemann's performance in Dresden. Unfortunately this is a common problem with listings and cannot be corrected by reviewers. Please be patient and understanding and either scroll down past this review or read it for unintentional additional interest if appropriate! Thanks - Ian Giles.....................................Beethoven wrote this work in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars which affected Beethoven deeply. In 1823 he invited various European royal houses to subscribe to a printed edition of his Mass which is how a copy of the work with Beethoven's own autograph annotations has become a part of the holdings of the Saxon State and University library.Every year on February 13th there is a commemorative concert held in Dresden to commemorate the destruction of Dresden towards the end of World War 2. In this case the concert also commemorated the 25th anniversary of the rebuilding of the opera house. These concerts always feature a requiem and end with a minute's silence without any applause. This end to the performance is included in this 2010 recording and is, in itself, a deeply moving conclusion.The performance is very fine indeed and rises impressively to all climatic moments with a finely matched quartet of four star singers, committed singing from the choir and immaculate playing from the orchestra under the direction of Thielemann. The long solo violin obligato part throughout the Benedictus is particularly beautifully played by the leader, Matthias Wollong, and the Agnus Dei concludes the work with Beethoven's strong ' plea for inner and outer peace' making the strongest impact imaginable.This is not a joyful occasion but it is a moving one. The camera work is suitably sensitive whilst being finely detailed and the sound is provided in both DTS-HD and stereo and is of the high quality that one knows now to expect from C Major.This is a very fine recording and performance of this work and deserves to be considered seriously by purchasers interested in a high quality visual and sonic presentation of this work. This will particularly be so if they also respond to the connection being made between the work and the reason for its performance at Dresden on this occasion.........................................Some dialogue from the comments section that may offer further help:A Historically and Musically interesting Review, Ian!I shall order it now.Very helpful, thank you. (U.K. review)

Très belle interprétation en concert. Solistes, choeur, orchestre, d'excellente qualité. La prise de son est magnifique. Mais il faut accorder une mention particulière à Nikolaus Harnoncourt dont la direction, sobre, sans gestuelle démonstrative et plus ou moins inutile, conduit cependant les interprètes là où il a décidé d'aller. Le résultat est digne de cette oeuvre grandiose à laquelle Beethoven lui-même accordait une grande place dans l'ensemble de ses créations.

This is now the most recent version of Beethoven's greatest Meisterwerk and is outstanding in its interpretation of tempi. Heavily influenced by adagio/andante(especially in the Kyrie and Agnus Dei)which I consider to be the best for sacred works, the full depth of meaning and emotion is delved par excellence to extract the essence of the work in which the composer pleads for God's Peace in the Universe. I would not like to say if it's the "last word" in tempi contextual to the work.When Harnoncourt sits down twice firstly at the end of the Gloria and then the Credo, its almost as if a subliminal message is being transmitted in an exquisite brand of indecipherable, musical morse code which the tempi taps out with resonance even in the silence. Compared to the other recent, excellent dvd versions at the Frauenkirche, Semperoper and the Calouste Gulbenkian, the soloists,including the violinist in the Benedictus, deliver dynamic yet understated performance to complement the rebalancing of the tempi and re-promoting innovatively the choral and orchestral gradations providing the work crucially with more space to "breathe". The coordination is exemplary and given the complexity of the fugues, astounding. The Et Vitam Venturi, in particular, gets a measured emphasis needed. There is, however, one major defect that is a repeat of the Calouste Gulbenkian version where, in the apposite movements of the Sanctus, the chorus is omitted in favour of the soloists. The Sanctus is about the heavenly hosts descending(Christ's expectation on the cross) the chorus are indispensable for those apposite movements. This otherwise excellent interpretation has also persuaded me that if and when Berlioz's Chez D'Oeuvre ,Grande Messe Des Morts Requiem gets its 21st Century,dvd treatment, the choice of conductor is clear.

Hasta la presente ha sido lo mejor que he visto ,oido y ejecutado.