Building a Collection #89: Beethoven's Missa Solemnis

With recommended recordings

Building a Collection #89

Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123

By Ludwig van Beethoven

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“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents.”

-Ludwig van Beethoven

Onward and upward with #89 on our survey, Beethoven’s epic Missa Solemnis, a work unique even among Beethoven’s many great compositions, and certainly one of the greatest choral works ever created.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven the man and composer has been discussed before here, so in order to reduce length, this post will not discuss biographical details of his life and career, except for the circumstances surrounding the Missa Solemnis. If you are interested, there are some marvelous books on Beethoven you may want to explore, including:

Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph by Jan Swafford (2014)

Beethoven by Maynard Solomon (1979)

Beethoven: The Man Revealed by John Suchet (2013)

Beethoven: A Life by Jan Caeyers (2020)

Of course there are mountains of resources online about Beethoven and his music, as well as entire institutions and organizations around the world devoted to the study of Beethoven’s life, his letters, and his music.

Missa Solemnis, Op. 123

Beethoven’s huge Missa Solemnis was written between 1819 and 1824, and the premiere was given on April 7th, 1824 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. A partial performance was given a month later in Vienna (the Viennese authorities would not permit a full Mass setting to be performed outside of a sacred liturgy). Along with Bach’s Mass in B minor, it is one of the largest and most significant works to use the Mass as a setting for its music. It is widely considered one of Beethoven’s greatest works. Dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of Austria, Archbishop of Olomouc, Beethoven's foremost patron as well as pupil and friend, Beethoven wrote on the original copy "Von Herzen—Möge es wieder—Zu Herzen gehn!" ("From the heart – may it return to the heart!").

Beethoven had previously written two other choral works on sacred themes, Christus am Ölberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives) (1802) and the Mass in C major (1807). It is known that in preparation for writing the Missa Solemnis, Beethoven studied Renaissance, Baroque, and plainchant in addition to the music of Palestrina, Bach, and Handel. He also studied Renaissance church modes intently.

The Missa Solemnis consists of five movements, corresponding to the first five sections of the Mass Ordinary:

1. Kyrie

2. Gloria

3. Credo

4. Sanctus - Benedictus

5. Agnus Dei

The mass is scored for a quartet of vocal soloists, a substantial chorus, and the full orchestra. It may be said to be more of a dramatic work than a devotional one. Indeed, it is really not suitable for liturgical use due to its sheer length and breadth. Some may not enjoy a sacred work of operatic scale, but there is something awe-inspiring and larger than life about it which is irresistible. Besides, the tremendous brass, percussion, choral outbursts, and very loud climaxes make it more suitable for a concert setting. A typical performance lasts between 70 and 80 minutes on average, but could stretch beyond 80 minutes. Beethoven himself knew that the work would primarily be performed in the concert hall, and he was perfectly okay with it, saying "My chief aim was to awaken and permanently instill religious feelings not only into the singers but also into the listeners."

The work itself reflects the fact that Beethoven rarely considered the demands he would be placing upon the performers, and in this case the writing for vocal soloists and chorus in particular is unforgiving and incredibly difficult in its tessitura. Tempos, rhythms, dynamics, and sheer range of the higher notes will test even the best of professional singers and choral groups, and this occurs throughout the work. It is a work that requires dedication, accuracy, and stamina, and that even goes for the orchestral writing which also has some very demanding sections. Granted the work is from Beethoven’s late period, around the time he composed his Symphony no. 9 “Choral” and by that time he was most likely stone-cold deaf. Due to the performance difficulties, as well as the large required forces, the work is rarely performed by amateur ensembles. Beethoven himself called the Missa Solemnis his greatest work.

Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis is an odd work in a sense in that it is “through-composed” and does not use repeated themes and variations as Beethoven did with almost all of his other works. In that way, it is linear and without much in the way of development of themes. The ridiculously high notes in the chorus mean that the entire work almost has an ethereal, floating quality where the narrative continues to move forward. Beethoven also made good use of fugues, especially in the Gloria and the Credo, something he increasingly used in his late period. There is some chant style, there is a good amount of polyphony, and more than a touch of theatricality. Scholars have noted similarities with the styles of Josquin de Prez, Johannes Ockeghem, and Michael Haydn, but whether that was Beethoven’s intent is not clear. Beethoven is not afraid to pull back and express tenderness either, and he does so to some extent in the Gloria, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. It is notable there are no “arias” per se for the soloists. But the overall vision of the work reflects the composer’s essentially universal and even cosmic view of God. Beethoven was not a particularly religious man, but he clearly had a spirituality and a belief in the divine nature of the universe.

Timothy Judd of The Listener’s Club provides an excellent description of each movement:

The Kyrie begins with a mighty D major chord which functions as a divine “call to order.” The instrumental voices of the orchestra become one with the solo voices and choral lines in a soaring and majestic invocation. This movement is filled with allusions to the trinity. “Kyrie” rises three times in the chorus, and the movement is set in three sections. In what Michael Tilson Thomas describes as “a burst of light,” we are invited into a space of spiritual ecstasy, assurance, and overflowing gratitude.

An awesome, titanic power is released in the opening bars of the Gloria. Punctuated with trumpets and drums, this music may remind you of the final, frenzied moments of the Ninth Symphony. What follows is a vast and far-reaching drama filled with constant surprises. We feel as if we are wandering freely through a beautiful and varied landscape. “No bar is inexpressive,” said the composer. The Gloria ends with a massive fugue which soars to cosmic heights. In this “ultimate fugue,” it’s as if Beethoven is attempting to push beyond the great counterpoint of Bach and Handel into new territory. The celebratory final bars culminate in triumphant shouts of “Gloria! Gloria!” which are additions to the traditional text.

The Credo, a setting of the Nicene Creed from the fourth century, unfolds as a vast choral symphony. At times, the harmony is colored by the ancient Dorian mode. The solo flute floats above the choral lines as an angelic representation of the Holy Spirit. The massive closing fugue surges forward, suddenly, with the subject doubling in speed. The final bars seem to evaporate into the heavens with mysterious rising scales.

In the Sanctus, Beethoven pushes beyond the formal confines of the traditional mass. Following a joyful, almost cacophonous climax (“Osanna!”), a solemn orchestral Praeludium sets the stage for the Benedictus. The solo violin, perhaps a representation of the Holy Spirit descending to earth, emerges with the flute as a shimmering ray of light which pierces the preceding darkness. The solo vocal lines weave around the violin’s extended solo in conversations of humble thanksgiving (“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”). Donald Tovey called this intimate music “a kind of aria-concerto of violin, voices, and orchestra.”Again, all of the barriers between human and instrumental voices are broken. As the Ninth Symphony is a “Choral Symphony,” this music is a vast “symphonic” oratorio.

Shadows return in the opening bars of the Agnus Dei with a shift to a dark and ominous B minor. In the manuscript, Beethoven wrote the words, “Prayer for inner and outer peace.” With the prayer, “dona nobis pacem,” D major is restored, as all storm clouds fade and the music dances with lighthearted playfulness. There is the sudden interruption of military drums and trumpet fanfares—a fleeting homage to Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War). A familiar, triumphant strand of the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah emerges. All of the ghosts of previous and future music seem to converge in this glorious, cosmic soundscape. The orchestra becomes liberated in an exuberant eruption of wild, celebratory counterpoint. The final moments give us a sense of quiet, awe-inspiring mystery and lush, pastoral grandeur.

The solo violin in the Benedictus is one of the most sublime sections in all of Beethoven’s music, and the quality of the concertmaster’s playing goes a long way towards determining the effectiveness of the movement.

In my view, the entire work seems to be Beethoven representing humanity in all of our glory and struggle reaching out to touch something beyond our earthbound experience, an attempt to touch the essence of being itself. This is a bold and passionate declaration which, to a significant extent, shouts at the heavens and asks questions. This is not a work of devout prayerfulness, humility, and acceptance but rather a work of deep humanity and expression which is meant to shake us at our core. For me, it does just that.

The Essential Recording

Regular readers and subscribers will know that I don’t label a recording “essential” lightly. It must be head and shoulders above other recordings, and there must be a critical agreement among reviewers for a recording to be labeled as essential, or otherwise it goes in another category. We are spoiled when it comes to great recordings of the Missa Solemnis, and we will get into many of those recordings below. But there is one recording which stands out from the rest, and that is Herbert von Karajan’s 1966 Deutsche Grammophon recording with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Singverein, and soloists Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Fritz Wunderlich, and Walter Berry. The long-time concertmaster of the BPO, French violinist Michel Schwalbé is the lovely soloist in the Benedictus.

Recorded in the warm and generous acoustic of Berlin’s Jesus-Christus-Kirche, this recording has that intangible quality of greatness which is sometimes hard to describe. It soars when needed, but with a breathtaking intensity, and the solo and choral singing are nearly beyond reproach. Some of the climaxes are a bit rounded off, and occasionally there is some muddiness in the upper registers, but this is a small price to pay for the overall depth and warmth of the recording. Here Karajan pushes for a big performance and he gets it. Of course there is the splendid Janowitz with her unique, steely voice hitting the heights without any trepidation, Ludwig singing gloriously in her prime, and of course the multi-talented Walter Berry. But we must pause and genuflect to the legendary and mellifluous tenor Wunderlich, taken from us much too soon at the age of 35. This was one of his final performances, as he died later in 1966. Thus rounds out the unmatched team of soloists, paired with the Vienna Singverein chorus who also sing marvelously. I regard this as a true classic of the gramophone when it comes to classical music. Absolutely essential.

Recommended Recordings

Even though Arturo Toscanini didn’t record the Missa Solemnis until he was 66 years of age, he clearly developed a very special relationship with the work and left us three recordings from 1939, 1940, and 1953. All three recordings are similar in terms of Toscanini’s fundamental vision of how Beethoven should be played. Toscanini was very much an outlier in his day in his emphasis on steady pace, incisive attack in phrasing, and his lack of sentimentality. Where the norm was to romanticize and slow down Beethoven, Toscanini stripped away all but the essentials, and genuinely tried to follow the composer’s intentions. The 1939 recording is from a live recording from Queen’s Hall, London with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Choral Society with soloists Zinka Milanov, Kerstin Thorborg, Kolomon von Pataky, and Nicola Moscona, and there is a good bit of hiss and the depth of the recording is not ideal. But the performance itself is captivating, and for me Toscanini’s direct way with Beethoven (a precursor to George Szell later) works quite well in the Missa Solemnis. At times the soloists are too recessed, but they eventually come through. Milanov is thrilling of course, and the other soloists are quite satisfying. This has been issued on Archipel and on BBC Classics, but I prefer the Archipel.

The 1940 live recording comes from Carnegie Hall on the IDIS label. The sound is more immediate than from London, although the balance is not quite as good. The brass are piercing, and bass instruments and timpani are captured almost too close, while other sections are heard less well. Toscanini leads the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Westminster Choir with soloists Zinka Milanov, Bruna Castagna, Jussi Björling, and Alexander Kipnis. As a whole, it is a stronger team of soloists than in London, of course Milanov and Björling are at the top of their game and Kipnis is splendid as well. The Westminster Choir is not as disciplined as the BBC group, but perhaps more exciting and incisive.

Finally there is the 1953 studio recording made in Carnegie Hall in New York on RCA/Sony with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Robert Shaw Chorale with soloists Lois Marshall, Nan Merriman, Eugene Conley, and Jerome Hines. This recording has the best sound by far, but the soloists are not quite at the level of the 1940 performance. That’s not to say they are bad, certainly not. But they are a bit too far back in the balance, and lack presence compared to the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, the Robert Shaw Chorale is excellent, probably the best of the lot. There is some overload on climaxes, to be expected from the time it was recorded, but overall the sound is good. Most importantly, Toscanini’s view of the work is essentially unchanged. Indeed, if anything Toscanini is even more driven here, coming in faster than both of the versions above. Just listen to the end of the Credo, it is unbelievably fast and sung incredibly well. The Pristine label has also released the live performance from two days earlier with the same forces, although I have not heard it. Reviewers don’t seem to believe that it improves significantly on the studio version.

In summary, Toscanini’s recordings of this work must still be considered recommended even in their historical condition. The maestro had a special affinity for this work, and these performances have a spark and personality which should be heard and appreciated.

Next up is American conductor Leonard Bernstein and his two outstanding recordings of this work. The first is with the New York Philharmonic and Westminster Choir with soloists Eileen Farrell, Carol Smith, Richard Lewis, and Kim Borg, recorded at the Manhattan Center in New York in 1960 for Columbia (now Sony). I have always loved this recording for its passion and energy, despite the occasional untidiness in orchestral and choral ensemble. I like how the entire performance jumps out at you, the sound is relatively forward, and the soloists sing wonderfully. The Westminster Choir sounds a bit rough and undisciplined, but they certainly don’t hold back and they generate a lot of sound. Farrell and Lewis in particular are marvelously captured, but given that this was relatively early in Bernstein’s tenure in New York, we can almost see him leaping on the podium. This is a dramatic and theatrical performance, and for me it is positively invigorating. Bernstein’s 1978 live performance from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation Chorus, Hilversum and soloists Edda Moser, Hanna Schwarz, René Kollo, and Kurt Moll on Deutsche Grammophon is a different kind of affair altogether, although equally fine on its own terms. Bernstein had mellowed for sure by then, and tempos are more moderate, but we also have the considerable benefit of the rich and warm sound from Amsterdam. Moser’s soprano is terrific if a bit shrill, the closest thing I’ve heard to Janowitz with Karajan, and of course there is a young-ish Kurt Moll, one of the greatest bass voices of all time sounding glorious. Kollo is also ripe and well captured, though his voice has a bit of a nasal quality to it, and Schwarz is more than up to the task. The chorus is a bit recessed and undefined compared to the soloists, and certainly not as perky as in New York. But they still perform very well. Bernstein is more laid back to be sure, and this gives the work a grandeur which is missing a bit in the earlier version. The violin solo in the Benedictus is played by the excellent Herman Krebbers, and it is meltingly beautiful. Both versions are recommended.

The great Otto Klemperer recorded the Missa Solemnis several times, but his studio recording from 1965 on EMI (Warner) is easily the finest of the bunch. Klemperer leads the New Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, along with soloists Elisabeth Söderström, Marga Höffgen, Waldemar Kmentt, and Martti Talvela. The acoustic from Kingsway Hall in London is rich and warm, and the sound is sumptuous even with a tiny bit of hiss and some congestion at the top. Even though Klemperer can be too deliberate, or even mechanical, at times can be overlooked here when the overall result is so majestic and grand. A real star of this performance is the chorus, which sings superbly and is well recorded. Söderström is also one of the finest sopranos on record in this version, every bit as convincing as Janowitz, and even if the other soloists are not consistently on the same level, they sing well enough to never detract from the proceedings. Klemperer’s vision is appropriately epic, but also spiritual and transcendent enough to make us listen in awe. This is a truly great recording.

From 1967 is legendary conductor George Szell’s incendiary live recording with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus which has been on several labels at various times including Columbia, Sony, and Urania and may also be streamed on YouTube. I could not find it on idagio, but it is available on Spotify. The soloists are Sara Endich, Florence Kopleff, Ernst Haefliger, and Ezio Flagello. First, the sound contains some hiss and is a bit grainy sounding even for 1967, and the balance is not always ideal. But Szell’s way with Beethoven is unmissable, and compares favorably with Toscanini for its directness, steady and never plodding tempos, and dramatic contrasts. I always enjoy and admire Szell for his incisiveness and rhythmic vitality, and this performance is no exception. Just listen to the beginning of the Gloria…my goodness. Save for Haefliger, the soloists were unknown to me but all are better than average and the Robert Shaw trained chorus is outstanding. Endich is particularly effective and sensitive.

The great Italian maestro Carlo Maria Guilini conducted slower and slower as he aged, and while sometimes that led to magisterial and profound recordings, it could also lead to some ponderous and boring readings on occasion. Thankfully his relatively slow Missa Solemnis from 1975 fares well with Giulini, and in any case he is not as slow as he would become later. He is joined by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and New Philharmonia Chorus, with soloists Heather Harper, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, and Hans Sotin for this excellent recording on the EMI (Warner) label. The sound from Kingsway Hall, London is warm and spacious and captures the soloists quite well, even if the chorus is a bit recessed and muddied at times. There is a natural quality to the performance, elegant and grand without ever being pushed too hard. The music just unfolds before you. Heather Harper stands out for her pinging soprano voice which emerges bright and clear, and tenor Robert Tear is also captured well, even if the tonal quality of his voice is not entirely pleasing to the ear. Of course Dame Janet Baker takes a back seat to nobody, and rivals Ludwig in Karajan’s account. Sotin had a reliable bass voice, and he is firm and round of tone here. Similar to how Giulini conducted Bruckner, he was a master at building the superstructure of a work or the big picture if you will, and linking everything together. Yes, tempos are slow in a few spots, but not far out of the ordinary. The conclusion of the Gloria is thrilling, and the Sanctus is moving and devotional.

Although only released in 2016, the 1982 recording by Rafael Kubelik and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on the Orfeo is a superb recording. The soloists are Helen Donath, Brigitte Fassbaender, Peter Schreier, and John Shirley-Quirk. The acoustics of the Herkulessaal in Munich adds to the warmth and depth of the recording, although at times details from the chorus are not ideally clear. This is another more expansive recording high on theatricality and drama. The soloists blend remarkably well together in this live recording. I have always liked Peter Schreier’s tenor, and though it must be conceded that his voice is on the smaller and somewhat nasal side, he is a consummate artist that knows how to use his voice. Donath is especially impressive, rivaling the best sopranos on record, and Fassbaender’s firm and darkly expressive mezzo is just what’s needed. Shirley-Quirk’s experience and rather bright bass is an asset as well. I find Kubelik encourages a spontaneous and exciting account which also expresses the more subtle moments quite well. At times I wished for more clarity in the choral parts, but ultimately the power and sheer grandeur carries the day.

Allegations of sexual misconduct notwithstanding, James Levine was a very fine, and often underrated, conductor. His 1991 live recording from the Salzburg Festival on Deutsche Grammophon with the Vienna Philharmonic, Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Radiokören, and Eric Ericson Chamber Choir is larger than life, fitting for the work. It is the closest thing on the list to an operatic performance with soloists Cheryl Studer, Jessye Norman, Placido Domingo, and Kurt Moll. This performance doesn’t even pretend to be devotional, rather it feels spacious and grand. Studer is very good here, prior to her precipitous decline, Norman shows her full resonance and blends very well, Domingo sounds heroic, and Moll is once again firm and sonorous. Levine was an outstanding opera conductor of course, and he manages the voices well while maintaining relatively deliberate tempos throughout. Violinist Gerhart Hetzel in the Benedictus is sublime, and the combined choral forces are captured marvelously. The sound from the Großes Festspielhaus in Salzburg is good indeed.

Perhaps this is where I apologize in advance for not including any historically informed or period instrument performances in my recommended list? The recordings by Gardiner, Harnoncourt, Herreweghe, Jacobs, Savall, and Suzuki all have their pleasures and assets, and several of them are extremely well performed and recorded. But I suppose I have a pretty strong bias in the Missa Solemnis, indeed in any of Beethoven’s late period works, for the larger and fuller sound from modern instruments and from larger voices. For me, the work is better served by a bigger sound, even when tempos are on the faster side such as with Szell and Bernstein’s first recording. I’ve never thought of myself as a traditionalist necessarily, but for this work maybe I am. I simply cannot get myself to include a recording which I believe misses the mark so widely, as so many of the period performances do. Having said that, if you have a period instrument recording you adore, please send me which one you like and I will try again to love it.

There are several really excellent recordings below as well, so I encourage you to sample them as well to find what you like.

Honorable Mention Recordings

Berlin Philharmonic / Böhm (DG 1955)

Vienna Symphony Orchestra / Andreae (Archipel 1955)

Philharmonia Orchestra / Karajan (Warner 1958)

BBC Symphony Orchestra / Horenstein (BBC 1961)

Cologne / Wand (Decca 1965)

The Philadelphia Orchestra / Ormandy (Sony 1967)

Concertgebouw Orchestra / Jochum (Universal 1971)

Cologne / Steinberg (ica 1973)

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig / Masur (Edel 1973)

Vienna Philharmonic / Böhm (DG 1974)

London Symphony Orchestra / C. Davis (Decca 1977)

Chicago Symphony Orchestra / Solti (Decca 1978)

Berlin Philharmonic / Karajan (DG 1985)

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra / Shaw (Telarc 1988)

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique / Gardiner (Archiv/DG 1989)

Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Harnoncourt (Teldec/Warner 1993)

Nashville Symphony / Schermerhorn (Naxos 2004)

Champs-Elysees / Herreweghe (HM 1995)

Zurich / Zinman (Arte Nova 2001)

Staatskapelle Dresden / Thielemann (Unitel DVD 2010)

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique / Gardiner (SDG 2012)

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Haitink (BR 2014)

18th Century / Reuss (Glossa 2016)

Concentus Musicus Wien / Harnoncourt (Sony 2016)

Bach Collegium / Suzuki (BIS 2017)

Stuttgart / Bernius (SWR 2018)

Okay that’s a wrap for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis! I want to say thank you for your patience with me in getting this one out to you, it took me longer than anticipated. But also, thank you for reading and for making my writing on Substack possible.

Join me next time for #90 on our list, Verdi’s opera Otello. See you then!

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Notes:

Adorno, Theodor W. Alienated Masterpiece: The Missa Solemnis. Essays On Music. University of California Press. 2002. p. 570.

Gutmann, Peter. "Ludwig van Beethoven: Missa Solemnis". Classical Notes. Retrieved 8 September 2011.

Judd, Timothy. Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis: A Cosmic Expanse of Space and Sonority. December 18, 2020. Found online at https://thelistenersclub.com/2020/12/18/beethovens-missa-solemnis-a-cosmic-expanse-of-space-and-sonority/.

Mellers, Wilfrid. Beethoven and the voice of God, p. 355.

Moore, Ralph. Beethoven’s Missa solemnis: A Partial Survey of Recordings. Found online at https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Apr/Beethoven_missa_survey.pdf.

Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven. Schirmer. 1977.

Spitzer, Michael. Beethoven. p. 123~124.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/40589.Ludwig_van_Beethoven?scrlybrkr=40ad99ec

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_solemnis_(Beethoven)?scrlybrkr=40ad99ec