Play It Loud! Beethoven's Missa Solemnis

Arguably one of Beethoven's greatest works, it is generally agreed that his Missa Solemnis (OP 123) is the most difficult to perform: it features full orchestration, requires virtuosic performances from the vocal solists and a high degree of concentration from the chorus, an extended violin solo for the concertmaster, and it's very, very loud. An associate of mine who has performed the piece before has stated, "If Beehoven wasn't completely deaf before he wrote the Missa Solemnis and his Ninth Symphony, I'm fairly certain he was afterward."

Taking nearly six years to write, the Missa Solemnis was premiered in St. Petersburg in April of 1824, and while many see it as one of Beethoven's supreme achievements, it has not seen the level of popularity that works like his great Fifth and Ninth Symphonies have enjoyed. Part of that is due to the difficulty in performing it -- because it requires a very large orchestra and chorus to do it and because it underscores Beethoven's typical disregard for the performers in composing something so technically difficult to pull off, it's simply not done very often, so it doesn't get the exposure that it would spread its popularity beyond symphony buffs to the general public. Besides, the performers need about a ten year hiatus to rest up before seriously considering doing it again.

The mass is in the basic Roman Catholic ordinary form, with five movements: the Kyrie eleison, Gloria (which features the first of the enormous and voluminous fugues on the text of "In Gloria Dei Patris, Amen"), the Credo which rushes headlong through the second fugue (really, a double-fugue) on "et vitam venturi," which not only bellows forth like a military march but even reprises itself immediately thereafter at double the speed), a quieter Sanctus section notably featuring a high violin solo that represents the descent of the Holy Spirit to earth, and concluding with a stately Agnus Dei.

It is interesting to note the musical similarities between this work and one he finished not long thereafter, his Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy, OP 125). It becomes clear that there were some very definite thematic elements rattling around in Beethoven's noggin during the final decade of his life, and it departs notably from his earlier works, which tended to return to a central theme through explorations of variation. The Missa Solemnis, in contrast, is a musical narrative that never really lets listeners sit back to contemplate what they just heard before moving on to something even more amazing and completely new. His interest in what he considered "true church music," earlier monastic forms and compositions by such notables as Palestrina, formed the basis behind the styling of this composition, and many believe that while Beethoven did intend this to be a true Mass performed in church, it was also not to be restricted to that venue -- he even retitled the Kyrie, Credo, and Agnus Dei movements "Three Grand Hymns with Solo and Chorus Voices," to be performed separately in a concert hall. He wrote, "My chief aim was to awaken and permanently instill religious feelings not only into the singers but also into the listeners."

Also of note is a distinctly humanist theme that often comes through in Beethoven's compositions. Realize that this was written during the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and Beethoven uses the Agnus Dei as a way to express his desire for peace between the peoples of the earth -- in the middle of a solemn section speaking of the reign of God who will bring peace to all mankind, there is a distinct military theme, featuring a march drumbeat and a brass cavalry call. As the chorus sings almost pleadingly for "pacem" (or "peace"), the brass and drums gradually fade away as though to signify the victory of peace over war.

A word to the wise, by the way: should you decide to purchase a recording of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis for your own private listening pleasure, realize that a piece this difficult requires a conductor who understands where Beethoven was going with this composition, a very good orchestra, very good soloists and a well-prepared chorus to do it justice, and those elements do not always arrive at the recording place at the same point in time. Do your research before buying -- the Missa Solemnis can be a great listening experience, or a painfully bad one, depending on your choice of performance.

In any event, if you get an opportunity to hear it performed live, by all means, go -- it may be a while before another chance will present itself. You don't have to be a Christian to listen and appreciate the music of the Mass or the techncial challenges this particular work presents the performers, any more than you have to be an architect to appreciate the achievement represented by a cathedral or great building. This piece stands on its own, a towering achievement that showcases the pinnacle Beethoven reached by the end of his distinguished career.

Sources: Wikipedia: Missa Solemnis (Beethoven) as of January, 2007
Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Caltech as of January 2007

Reviews: Seattle Times review, Melinda Bargreen, April 6, 2007

Updated: June 1, 2007
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