Missa solemnis

Mari Eriksmoen soprano
Varduhi Abrahamyan mezzo-soprano
Mathias Vidal tenor
Christof Fischesser bass

Jérémie Rhorer direction
Le Cercle de l’Harmonie
Chœur du Conservatoire Darius Milhaud

Sung in latin

Beethoven himself claimed on several occasions that the Missa Solemnis was his “best work and finest piece” and it is indeed one of the most fascinating works in the history of music. Its huge proportions, unprecedented complexity, and the extreme demands it makes on choruses, vocal and instrumental soloists (the violin solo in the Benedictus is reminiscent of a concerto), mean that this monumental work has intimidated many a performer. Furtwängler, for example, studied it continuously throughout his life but never conducted it. It was composed between 1818 and 1823, and a partial performance was introduced into the concert at which the musician debuted his Ninth Symphony on 7 May 1824. It is now difficult to imagine the strength required to conduct both of these works in a single session.

Production Théâtre des Champs-Elysées