Making the Beethovenian summit

When in 2021 Riccardo Muti conducted for the first time in his long career the Solemn masses

Now, with musical direction by Thomas Hengelbrock, the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra and Choir has offered a vibrant interpretation of the most extraordinary piece in Beethoven's sacred catalogue (along with the Sistine Chapel of music). Mass in C major and the oratory Christ on the Mount of Olives). Vibrating and enough, it must be said, because the depth of the Beethovenian concept did not always make an appearance.

Along with the Ninth Symphony (with which it shared a partial premiere), the Solemnities It is a piece about faith, not so much in God as in humanity, despite the Catholic text and basis of the piece. A difficult dialectic, then, that requires an exercise of deepening, of going deep not so much with the texts (those of the Ordinary of the Catholic Mass) but with Beethoven's treatment: the repetitions of certain words (such as the conjunction "tea" to the Creed or the repeated "let us graze" of the conclusive Agnus Dei). And that is what was missing, despite Hengelbrock's energetic direction, with a clear and precise gesture. And in front of an orchestral and choral formation that has already demonstrated in other repertoires - especially the Baroque - that it is extraordinary. But romanticism in general, Beethoven in particular and specifically the Solemn masses They call for a much more careful ascent to the summit.

In addition to a solvent orchestra and a bomb-proof heart - the tessituras of sopranos and tenors are notoriously inclement - we must add four soloists with the same level of excellence. At the Palau de la Música, we were very lucky with the soprano Regula Mühlemann and the mezzo-soprano Eva Zaïcik. But the tenor Julian Prégardien made more than one false leap and in the bass Gabriel Rollinson we began to hear it in theAgnus Dei, when all the fish had already been sold. A good attempt to make a summit that was not finished. It is to be hoped that the members of The Orfeó Català should take note when they sing this great work next year in Los Angeles now under the orders of Gustavo Dudamel. Work is coming their way.