BaL 29.12.12 - Beethoven's Missa Solemnis

[BBMmk2]

I have Harnoncourt's and Klemperer's. What do people think of Harnoncourt's?

Anyone heard which version was chosen?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Anyone heard which version was chosen?

Next week, Bbm!

[BBMmk2]

Next week, Bbm!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That Celebration Ale's good stuff, I see!

[Thropplenoggin]

Thropplenoggin, I am really surprised by this, as the original (1996?) issue is excellent (I always take it with me on holiday) throughout.
Have you listened already to the new recording of the work by the same forces -but with other soloists-, made in Ghent quite recently?

I've given the new Herreweghe Missa a spin several times now. The sound really is quite special but did take some adjusting to: spacious with lots of detail and good dynamic range without blowing your ear drums between loud and quiet parts i.e. the transition from the end of the Kyrie to the start of the Gloria, which on some recordings risks permanently impairing your hearing. It was a moving listen. The only thing that didn't work for me, or felt like a flaw, is the singing at the very end, when that gorgeous melody in the 'Dona nobic pacem' comes back for the final time, in the final minute or so, the choir seem to slow down and then seem to get out of phase...a mistake? Or just my poor musical ears?

Given your like of his first outing, I'd say this is a must-listen. You can hear the 'Kyrie' below:

[Don Petter]

I have just two recordings, neither of which is on this preliminary list:
VPO Karl Bohm
VSO Otto Klemperer (the version that Vox squashed on to a single LP - unfortunately squashing the sound too).

The VOX does seem to be available on CD, though apparently in a poor transfer:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beethoven-Missa-Solemnis-Ilona-Steingruber/dp/B000HT3RWC/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356684623&sr=1-9

[JFLL]

JEGger's recording is the only Beethoven of his that I find utterly convincing ...

Curiously (to my mind), Gardiner jogs to the Missa Solemnis (his wife jogs to Bach cantatas), according to a laudatory article in Die Zeit: http://www.zeit.de/2012/49/Dirigent-John-Eliot-Gardiner

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Curiously (to my mind), Gardiner jogs to the Missa Solemnis (his wife jogs to Bach cantatas), according to a laudatory article in Die Zeit: http://www.zeit.de/2012/49/Dirigent-John-Eliot-Gardiner

JOGgers, then? Jogtkantate, BWV208?

It seems odd to me, too. But then, jogging always did! I bet he gets up a sprint when he reaches the Gloria!

[pastoralguy]

To be honest, I've never been able to cope with this work on an at home listening basis. Just too big (bloated?).

But then I've only ever had BPO/Karajan.

I'll be listening out for a Throppers-lite version for sure.

I have tried hard with this work but it doesn't 'do it' for me either. Obviously, a failing with me and not the piece - I MUST listen to this again and try harder! (Mind you, it took a LOT of listening to Elgar's 'Dream of Geriontius' before it 'stuck'!)

[JFLL]

JOGgers, then? Jogtkantate, BWV208?

It seems odd to me, too. But then, jogging always did! I bet he gets up a sprint when he reaches the Gloria!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So Giulini is the winner in today's programme. I was rather impressed by the Klemperer too, even though I don't normally go for this conductor's Beethoven.

[Thropplenoggin]

So Giulini is the winner in today's programme. I was rather impressed by the Klemperer too, even though I don't normally go for this conductor's Beethoven.

Tsk! You forgot to add the mandatory "granite-like" before Klemperer.

I enjoyed this survey, learned a lot more about a dense work, and was glad Deathridge managed to look at the latest Herreweghe with its astonishing sonic spaciousness and detail, as well as an earlier version by Otto. I also agree with him about this elusive sense of awe and mystery within the work, so hard to convey, though Klemperer's GRoC account has always managed it for me.

I'm now minded to investigate the much-praised Toscanini from 1939 on BBC Legends, and was also surprised by the impeccable quality of the singing of the first Karajan recording they played (from '58, I believe).

However, it'd be nice to learn why more famous recordings are considered so unworthy that they don't even get mentioned as also-rans: JEG, Bohm, Levine...

[DracoM]

Deathridge good value - patient survey of both music and perfs. Giulini - prob yes, by a short head?

[ARBurton]

Have to admit this work was a bit of a "closed book" to me until I acquired the 1940 Clemens Krauss recording, issued by DG in their Vienna PO series. Was this mentioned, or the Koussevitsky recording on Pearl?

[Karafan]

Tsk! You forgot to add the mandatory "granite-like" before Klemperer.

I enjoyed this survey, learned a lot more about a dense work, and was glad Deathridge managed to look at the latest Herreweghe with its astonishing sonic spaciousness and detail, as well as an earlier version by Otto. I also agree with him about this elusive sense of awe and mystery within the work, so hard to convey, though Klemperer's GRoC account has always managed it for me.

I'm now minded to investigate the much-praised Toscanini from 1939 on BBC Legends, and was also surprised by the impeccable quality of the singing of the first Karajan recording they played (from '58, I believe).

However, it'd be nice to learn why more famous recordings are considered so unworthy that they don't even get mentioned as also-rans: JEG, Bohm, Levine...

Persiflage, eh? You see, you can always learn something on here whether you intend to or not! Thanks, Thropple....!

K.