Missa Solemnis (2013)

I am not a big fan of films of concerts, opera being a different kettle of fish. I certainly don't buy dvds of symphonic concerts but when a large chorus is involved in a major mass with a great orchestra, soloists and conductor I will usually buy it, but I am very selective. How many films of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis do I need? Well, as it turns out two.

From having zero dvds of this piece I ordered the Thielemann concert in a beautiful concert hall from 2010 and the Fabio Luisi one from 2005 filmed at the official opening in the Frauenkirche in Dresden.

Oddly the one from the Frauenkirche is the most authentic concert of the two because it includes applause, and the one from the concert hall is very solemn, slightly pretentious in this regard, and ends with the audience standing silently in homage to the fire bombing of Dresden during WW2. The Frauenkirche might have been the more appropriate place for such reverence.

But there is nothing to complain about in the camera work in either 2005 or 2010. The Unitel from 2010 with Thielemann is fascinating to watch. It is mind-boggling to imagine the coordination of the film team to manage so many cuts and angles and close-ups in a live event without a single camera ever being visible on screen. The work for Luisi's version is equally flawless and beautiful. Thielemann's concert hall is very classical and elegant, Luisi's Frauenkirche setting is joyously baroque and heavenly to behold.. So these two films are quite different and compliment one another very nicely.

Thielemann and Luisi are two of the greatest conductors out there right now. Thielemann eschews baton and score and stands there uninhibited by any incumbrance. His masterful knowledge of the score is evident before the music begins. Luisi uses a score and baton and jumps about a little. This is apt in his performance which seems more in tune with the fundamental joy of this piece.

Their interpretations are contrasted, one may go a little quicker than the other here and there but both interpretations are beautiful, solemn when called for and full of energy and panache at times. The orchestra and choral personnel seem quite different between '06 and '10. The two teams of vocal soloists are both very fine. I prefer, slightly, Luisi's with a fuller soprano and more audible (as recorded) bass. Luisi has two beautiful female soloists, and I don't mean just their voices. Camilla Nylund and Birgit Remmert are splendid and are superbly partnered by Christian Elsner, tenor and René Pape who needs no introduction. Thielemann's team is made up of Krassimira Stoyanova, Elina Garança, Michael Schade and Franz-Josef Selig. All eight of these singers have beautiful, well-trained and controlled voices. If there is an award for the greatest singing of the eight it would go to Elina Garança's extraordinary singing.

She is a young Christa Ludwig and I would expect her to start showing up in Wagner soon, Brangäne, Fricka and Waltraute.

I am happy to have purchased both these films. If you want a Missa Solemnis that is indeed solemn then go for the glorious Thielemann, which is also full of spirit and is life enhancing, if perhaps taking itself too seriously. If you want a more joyous approach, which is also solemn when called for, and has a more natural atmosphere in the extraordinarily beautiful Dresden Frauenkirche, then don't hesitate to buy the Luisi.

Frankly I think I will be turning to the Luisi more than the Thielemann in the future.

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...

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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

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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 presentation of this work.

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What a great disappointment!!!! A monumental choral work is made anemic by a faulty sound track. The chorus and male soloists sound distant from the dominating sound of the orchestra. When the soloists sing in quartet, the male voices, especially the bass, are almost overpowered by the soprano and alto; not that the men don't have powerful voices. It is due to poor sound engineering. On blu-ray, the visual is sharp in detail. If only the sound were!!!!

Want Missa Solemnis (2013) Discount?

"I love it", BUT…... The 5 stars are strictly for the outstanding performances by singers, playing of orchestras, and sound quality of the CD. Disc is, however, wholly lacking adequate notes, there is No Synopsis And No Libretto Whatsoever.

Is this (and others noted below…) some sort of "cheapie" presentation to account for the highly appreciated low prices offered? A regrettable oversight somewhere along the production line?

I Fully expect To Receive From Amazon These Missing Essential Components shortly."I love it", BUT…... The 5 stars are strictly for the outstanding performances by singers, playing of orchestras, and sound quality of the CD. Disc is, however, wholly lacking adequate notes, there is No Synopsis And No Libretto Whatsoever, all the more outrageous since this work is not that often heard.

Is this (and others noted below…) some sort of "cheapie" presentation to account for the highly appreciated low prices offered? A regrettable oversight somewhere along the production line? I Fully Expect To Receive From Amazon These Missing Essential Components shortly..

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