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Opera or Mass?

With Rossini, it is sometimes hard to tell. He certainly composes in a very similar style to his stage works, but the Latin church sequence puts it squarely on the secular side.

As far as recordings go, this one from Sir Neville has a starry stable of soloists. It is certainly the reason to listen to this recording.

For a Mass setting, the chorus has little to do, however the opening Kyrie is the one which is most affecting, no less due to the chorus' presence.

A beautiful recording, although listeners may want to find a more Italianate version.

A review from 2023

Italian composer Gioachino Rossini’s three large-scale choral/orchestral works, the Stabat Mater, Petit Messe Solennelle, and here the Messa di Gloria, all have a strong pull of the secular surrounding their sacred nature.


This aspect seems even stronger in his early Messa di Gloria. The 10-minute opening Kyrie is the most beautiful in terms of devotion. The following 48-minute Gloria lands in full-Rossini opera mode thereafter. I think ‘masterpiece’ from another review might be going too far for this listener, but it is certainly a most joyous affair throughout.


The opening of the Gloria could be a curtain-raising overture itself, and the subsequent arias are death-defying feats of vocal gymnastics that would make any concertgoer faint. Rossini’s vocal writing is extremely florid and extremes of range feature for each of the vocal artists.


The chorus doesn’t get as much time as the soloists, although they open and close the Gloria in powerful ecclesiastical settings. The orchestra provides dutiful accompaniment without drawing away from the vocals, akin to a Rossini opera, although the spotlight solos for English Horn and Clarinet are virtuosic and impressive.


The Philips Originals remastering of this 1992 performance is satisfyingly clear. All of the parts of the chorus are ably heard, and the instrumentals are nicely balanced with the soloists.


Most recently, Antonio Pappano released a recording with mostly Italian artists on Warner, and I imagine he elicits more passion than Sir Neville Marriner and his British chorus and orchestra. Still, Marriner finds powerful moments with his Academy chorus, even if they are a little sterile on top, and his international soloists are a most impressive cast.

 

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Works
Messa di Gloria

Soloists
Sumi Jo, soprano
Ann Murray, contralto
Francisco Araiza, tenor
Raúl Giménez, tenor
Samuel Ramey, bass

Performers
Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner, conductor

Label: Philips
Year: 1992 / 2006
Total Timing: 58.33

 

 

 

All of Rossini's large-scale Sacred works are worth hearing.

Just don't expect pious devotion over what amounts to operatic settings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Rossini recordings HERE!