An Uplifting Mass Setting

 

For a student work, I have nothing but plaudits.

Puccini's Messa di Gloria runs a bit like Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass. It contains broad, operatic tunes which could be ripped straight from the stage, and I love these moments.

Rossini's Masses were operatic too, but Puccini's work is better balanced I think. Whereas Rossini focused on solos in true arioso fashion, Puccini puts the focus squarely on the chorus, offering a more devotional choral texture over endless acrobatic arias.

The Gloria is pure jubilant sunshine (of the Bernstein variety too), and while the main musical theme is not one bit subtle, nothing but smiles emanate from this listener upon hearing this music. The Credo contrasts strikingly with the Gloria by using a minor-keyed setting, although both are rather upbeat tempo-wise.

The final three portions of the Mass seem mere afterthoughts, yet the final solos are worth the wait. Really I was quite pleased with this work overall; it has some serious moments, there is a lovely pastoral Kyrie to open the work, but it is the secular musical portions which capture my attention. It may be an early work, but this fact didn't affect its enjoyability factor at all.

To fill out this recording, since the Messa di Gloria is only 45 minutes long, the early orchestral piece Preludio Sinfonico is paired with the later Crisantemi, the latter rendered for string orchestra. Pappano and the London forces make much more of the Prelude than did Carlo Rizzi recently in another Puccini program, found on the blog HERE. I am not wild about Crisantemi for orchestra; the string quartet version is much more immediate and intimate compared to a whole string ensemble.

The London performers are excellent throughout, and I find the choral/orchestral balances just fine. Roberto Alagna's squeezed Italianate tenor could use more subtlety and gentle lyricism at times, while on the other hand, it is a pleasure to hear Thomas Hampson in his short appearance.

Antonio Pappano's recording on EMI has been a tried-and-true effort of Puccini's Mass since 2001, and it has been reissued a few times: in 2006 on the EMI Great Artists of the Century series, and in 2013 on the EMI Masters edition. Warner Classics has also reissued them with their moniker replacing EMI.

 

Listen on YouTube

 

 

Works
Preludio Sinfonico (8.39)
Crisantemi (7.01)
Messa di Gloria (44.48)
  I. Kyrie (5.20)
 II. Gloria (18.52)
III. Credo (14.33)
IV. Sanctus & Benedictus (3.33)
 V. Agnus Dei (2.30)

Soloists
Roberto Alagna, tenor
Thomas Hampson, baritone

Performers
London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Antonio Pappano, conductor

Label: EMI
Year: 2001, 2006, 2013
Total Timing: 60.55

 

 

I really like Puccini's Mass setting.

It has some broad operatic moments, as well as devotional ones. Overall, though, it is a work which smiles and uplifts.

Who couldn't use more of that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find more Puccini recordings HERE!