Beethoven's Missa Solemnis!

How many of you are familiar with Beethoven's Missa Solemnis? It is a great and imposing choral

work to say the least! The orchestra writing is very symphonic and the vocal writing is both

beautiful and challenging. For me its hard to choose a favorite moment from the piece. For me this piece

is an example of a large scale work where every moment is a beautiful and powerful moment!

What do the rest of you think?

One of my goals as a choral singer is to perform the Missa Solemnis. I've played it as a violist, but I want to sing it. I first encountered it as a teenager and though it took a little while to sink in - it is pretty heavy - I grew to love it; especially the Kyrie and the Benedictus.

One of my goals as a choral singer is to perform the Missa Solemnis. I've played it as a violist, but I want to sing it. I first encountered it as a teenager and though it took a little while to sink in - it is pretty heavy - I grew to love it; especially the Kyrie and the Benedictus.

Wow! Must have been a great experience performing this piece as a violinist. Do you have any deatails worth

sharing from your experience?

Yes, the piece is pretty heavy. I too have had some vocal training and at one point wanted to

perform it. You are right, Who can resist the power of the Benedictus? Talk about a beautiful intro!

And when the violin solo enters! ;)

I'm not even going to get into the soaring soparno line that he wrote for that movement. :D

I too encountered the Missa as a teenager. But, I instantly fell in love with the

piece as it was the last thing I expected to flow from Beethoven's pen.

It is everything but unorganized. Only the organization is not as easily apparent as with your regular Beethoven Concerto or the like. It's a hard piece to grasp, so your conclusion that it's unorganized, to me, seems too early :(

In other words, the Missa Solemnis is well organized, and if you think it isn't, you haven't grasped it enough :angry: (how's that for an infalsifiable statement)

So far, I truly love the beginning of the 'et ascendit'; the way Beethoven lets us HEAR the ascension is stunning, especially after the surprising setting of 'et resurrexit'.

And Beethoven is NEVER boring and always difficult (A)

Wow! Must have been a great experience performing this piece as a violinist. Do you have any deatails worth sharing from your experience?

Nothing except that playing it was almost as good as listening to it. I'm actually a violist, not a violinist, and as such I get to experience pieces from the middle of the mix, both by virtue of playing a "middle voice," but also due to the section's proximity to the woodwinds. It was such a long time ago that I played it - nearly 20 years now - that I don't remember very many details. Overall impressions about the experience are stronger - such as being happy finally to be playing it, being impressed with the what I could hear of the orchestral textures, loving individual performances (the concertmaster's violin solo in the Benedictus, for example).

I recently heard a "period instruments" recording of the Missa Solemnis that, as expected, nearly spoilt me for modern instruments performances. It was just so clean, crisp and transparent, where so often Beethoven can be muddy and thick. Once again, I prefer the sharp edge to the heavy blade.

I personally greatly dislike Missa Solemnis. I find it unorganized, confusing, thin, and boring.

I'm sorry you find it unorganized. But, the Missa is a heavy piece. Beethoven really stretched the

concepts of symphonic form when he wrote the missa. You may already know that Beethoven was

known for elaborating on the established forms of his day and the missa is no exception. As was

already stated, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis is not presented in an obvious manner.

But then again, if you are just not fond of it then I can understand.

I personally greatly dislike Missa Solemnis. I find it unorganized, confusing, thin, and boring.

When you play something (in music) and even sing it, it's not that boring. I grew up with classical music, but I'm turning into a Romantic twist. I sang (if it's the past tense of "sing) the Missa Solemnis once and it was a little bit challenging.

Well, I think I can proceed with H

And Beethoven is NEVER boring and always difficult (A)

No...you are wrong. Very wrong. How much Beethoven have you listened too? Probably only his good stuff if you say he is never boring...and you are obviously wrong when you say he is always difficult. No. He's not always difficult. I have encountered difficult pieces by him, yes, but no not everything is difficult. His Symphonies are easy, as are his piano sonatinas.

When you play something (in music) and even sing it, it's not that boring. I grew up with classical music, but I'm turning into a Romantic twist. I sang (if it's the past tense of "sing) the Missa Solemnis once and it was a little bit challenging.

Well, I think I can proceed with H

His symphonies are not easy! I played the French Horn in Symphony no. 5 and it was quite a scary experience.

I imagine the vocal soloists in no. 9 have a hell of a time too.

His symphonies are not easy! I played the French Horn in Symphony no. 5 and it was quite a scary experience.

I imagine the vocal soloists in no. 9 have a hell of a time too.

Well.... How long have you been playing? And did you only do the first movement? Lucky for you I have the score here. It looks easy. Very easy. And don't tell me its hard fingerings....there are no hard fingerings on horn. And its not tonguing because the oboe part is harder to tongue and I still think its easy.

I sang the baritone solo in the ninth. Not really hard. But its more difficult than his fifth.

His symphonies are not easy! I played the French Horn in Symphony no. 5 and it was quite a scary experience.

Imagine playing it on a horn with no valves. I want to sleep with a natural horn player...that's all I want to say.

.... I sure hope that's all you are going to say.

I'm sure its not so bad for a proffesional horn player, but it is hard for high schoolers. It's not the fingerings or tonguings though, it's just getting those notes that come out of nowhere to sound without breaking pitch.... that's what hard to do on the horn!

Oh, BTW the Liszt transcriptions of the Beethoven Symphonies for solo piano are ungodly difficult.... some of the hardest piano pieces from that era.

But that was Liszt. I'm serious, there is hard Beethoven but you can't go full out and say it's all hard. It's just not.

I didn't go full out and say it's all hard.

I didn't go full out and say it's all hard.

huhuh, huhuh (Butthead's voice)... He said... "hard".... huhuh, huhuh....

I didn't go full out and say it's all hard.

Haha woopsie. I thought you were someone else. Someone did say that though.......

I didn't go full out and say it's all hard.[/b]

His late string quartets make me full out hard.

Amen to that, brother. The C# minor. The F major. Whew! * adjusts himself *

The F Major makes me pass out with pleasure. I woke up once with nothing but a tie and a lamp shade in the middle of arkansas after hearing it.