Beethoven: Mass in C Major

 

To be more concise compared to my earlier review below, Gardiner's 90s performance of Beethoven's Mass in C Major is probably the best out there. This is coming from no lover of Gardiner's particular brand of period playing, although I find I am finally coming around to it, albeit some 30 years later.

One of the best aspects is that Gardiner is in no hurray and actually makes time for some lovely passages. Of course, I am a firm lover of his Monteverdi Choir, even if I am not always on board with his HIP band. Compared to the few recordings available, including my preference for modern-instrument orchestras, this is a persuasive performance still today.

A few extra choral and vocal pieces make this a solid recommendation!

A review from 2000

Beethoven’s Mass in C for soloists, choir, and orchestra on this early 90’s Archiv recording is paired with the orchestrated concert aria for soprano ‘Ah! Perfida’ and the romantic choral piece Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt (Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage). English conductor John Eliot Gardiner leads his period ensemble ORR with the Monteverdi Choir.

Despite the Mass in C representing Beethoven around the time of his famous 5th Symphony, the Mass is remarkably restrained, especially coming from the same pen of the monumental Missa Solemnis setting. While the Mass in C, and for the most part Beethoven’s entire choral output, isn’t exalted among his oeuvre, there is some really nifty music here. It is often pleasingly tuneful, I am reminded of Schubert’s early masses, and while there a few challenging polyphonic choral portions, simplicity seems to rule throughout the work. All the better for the listener, because Beethoven gives us some charming moments of stunning choral writing and orchestral power and spirituality. Beethoven doesn’t throw many musical curveballs into this Mass setting, but the opening of the Credo is a little more harmonically daring, and the Dona Nobis Pacem ventures into odd territory, making the work a little more characterful.

That said, I have had a hard time finding a great recording of this Mass: Chailly on Decca comes the closest, but the distant chorus and flabby tenor is disappointing; Giulini on EMI and on Brilliant is über devotional, but I have always enjoyed a little spectacle in my sacred choral music, so his seriousness and lugubrious tempos often frustrate me despite its power, Shaw’s recording on Telarc was pretty bland despite the authority of his Atlanta choirs; and Hickox on Chandos is hard and percussive much in a period-performance vein akin to his Haydn Mass series, also on Chandos. There are others, but it always seems that the Mass in C gets tossed aside for larger more impressive works in recorded presentations.

John Eliot Gardiner probably brings me the closest to a near ideal performance of the Mass in C, despite my general displeasure for period-practice Beethoven. There stands no doubt in my mind that The Monteverdi Choir is the finest recorded chorus in this particular work. The Monteverdi Choir oozes musicality in every phrase without sounding fussy, yet each sung line has purpose, direction, and confidence, and they traverse the intimate settings versus the dramatic with technical ease and flexibility, but also with punch and weight. The Dona Nobis Pacem is simply beautiful, and yet the miserere’s have character, for example. Archiv captures the choir clearly and upfront, their diction is well heard, and I appreciate that the impact and focus on the chorus is foremost.

The soloists are also a solid team, despite not having heard the soprano or mezzo before. These are not thin, lily-livered period soloists either, but neither are they shouting over each other. In particular, this group of soloists work really well together as an ensemble, although their solo moments are well sung. I can’t think of an aspect of this team that I have to nitpick about, and if they aren’t the starriest soloists, none of them weigh down the performance in any particular aspect.

Most appreciably, Gardiner does not seem to be out to set a land-speed record in Beethoven’s Mass. The pastoral elements are remarkably affecting for this conductor - the Kyrie is peaceful and loving without losing atmosphere through speed, and the Sanctus and Dona Nobis Pacem easily follow suit. Conversely the Gloria and Credo have enough swing and impact without sounding anemic nor underplayed, but also not particularly breathless either. The ORR is what it is, a period ensemble, again not to my tastes. While I wish the bassoons didn’t sound like wheezy saxophones, that the low-end had some more depth and strength, and the valveless brass wasn’t so congested in its output, I like that Gardiner isn’t out to prove how fast they can go, nor are these coldly, hard-hit percussive readings. A few of the fugal portions could have eased a bit, the Benedictus could have more genial atmosphere, but those moments are more the exception than the rule, and this might be my favourite of Gardiner’s period recordings.

Ah! Perfido and Meeresstille are nice pairings too. Charlotte Margiono isn’t going to cast Dame Janet Baker from our memories, but she is solid and theatrical enough. This may be the best sung Meeresstille I have heard, again mostly due to the iron constitution and facility of The Monteverdi Singers. I have lived with Tilson Thomas’ Beethoven choral works from the 70’s with the LSO and Ambrosian Singers on CBS, and while I like Ambrosian’s symphonic largeness opposite Polyphony’s purely Handelian English style on Hyperion, the Monteverdi Choir is terrific with that quirky raindrop sequence as well the extreme dynamic and range contrasts, and they make the most overall sense of the work since I was introduced to it.

Altogether, I am enthusiastic about this recording of Beethoven’s Mass in C. Despite my preference for a full-modern orchestra, this performance overcomes those deficiencies through top-of-the-line choral work, solid soloists, and thoughtful orchestral pacing from Gardiner in terrific sound.

Works
Mass in C Major, op. 86 (42.02)
Ah! Perfido (12.37)
Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt, op. 112 (7:14)

Soloist
Charlotte Margiono, soprano
Catherine Robbin, mezzo-soprano
William Kendall, tenor
Alastair Miles, bass

Performers
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Total Timing: 62.04
Label: Archiv
Year: 1992

 

Look at me giving John Eliot Gardiner and the ORR top marks. Yet, he hits it out of the park here, despite the period sounds and influences.

Of course, as in the past, I have nothing but plaudits for the Monteverdi Choir, and the same is true here.

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