Beethoven: Der Glorreiche Augenblick & Choral Fantasia

 

Fantasia in C minor 'Choral'

I have commented elsewhere that I don't consider Beethoven's 'Choral' Fantasia to be an especially great work, but its music is full of spectacle, coming from its powerful opening piano solo, a set of concertante variations for piano and orchestra, plus a choral and solo vocal finale. Let us say, the music serves a grand purpose, audience approved.

In this 1991 live performance on New Year's Eve, soon to be 1992, Claudio Abbado is leading the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the RIAS Chamber Choir with Evgeny Kissin at the keyboard. In addition, the presence of Cheryl Studer and the late John Aler as soloists in the small Coda ending section adds to the star quality.

The only issue here is Russian pianist Kissin is wanting to get the juices going while Abbado prefers a dainty and stately approach. Thus, Abbado holds Kissin back, making this a fine, if not singular performance, with a subtle tug of war between the two.

While I am covering the Deutsche Grammophon Beethoven Vol. XIX Large Choral Works set for my work series, of which this is CD2 for me, DGG's Large Vocal Works set (pictured below) also includes Ah! Perfido from Abbado, Studer, and Berlin from this same concert, missing from the choral set.

Der Glorreiche Augenblick

While I was previously familiar with the two early occasional cantatas from Volume 1 of this Work Series (BLOG), Der Glorreiche Augenblick is unfamiliar, although the work has been on my radar for some time. The cover art of a Naxos release led by Hilary Davan Wetton has been gently lulling me towards it,  but I have not had luck with that chorus master's recordings, finding them dull or the ensembles in poor abilities. Thus far, I have avoided it.

My wait to hear this music was worth it though, for Myung-Whun Chung and the Santa Cecilia National Academy Orchestra and Chorus are ensembles in fine, robust mettle, both having received many plaudits under their recent director Antonio Pappano.

In the liner notes, the cantata is equated to Beethoven's Wellington's Victory, a notoriously clangorous work from the composer. Thus Der Glorreiche Augenblick (The Glorious Moment) is a celebratory cantata celebrating the fall of Napoleon and the raising of the Council of Vienna. As occasional pieces are concerned, I can't imagine this one having much contemporaneous usefulness in concert, perhaps explaining its absence in the concert hall.

South Korean conductor Myung-Whun Chung takes a swift, heroic view of the music, not bothering to dwell on a piece that is all gusto and bravado. All to the better in my view, as the music comes off with oodles of energy. Soprano Luba Orgonasova receives most of the arias, and she does so with feeling and skill. Mezzo-soprano Iris Vermillion isn't as impressive, and the tenor and bass get very little to do, although they all come together as a vocal solo ensemble towards the conclusion just fine.

As opposed to the composer's Funeral and Accession Cantatas for Emperors Joseph II and Leopold II mentioned earlier, Beethoven makes good use of the chorus throughout Der Glorreiche Augenblick, making the long walk from the big opening and closing numbers much easier to traverse for the listener.

If you are wanting a way to hear this ignored cantata, Chung makes the going rather easy on the listener. If not great music, it is certainly harmless.

Work Series
Vol. 2 from Beethoven Large Choral Works on DGG


Works
Der Glorreiche Augenblick, op. 136 (33.52)
Fantasia in C minor 'Choral', op. 80 (18.44)

Soloists
Opus 136
   Luba Orgonasova, soprano 
   Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano
   Timothy Robinson, tenor
   Franz Hawlata, baritone

Opus 80
   Evgeny Kissin, piano
   Cheryl Studer, soprano
   Kristina Clemenz, soprano
   Camille Capasso, mezzo-soprano
   John Aler, tenor
   Friedrich Molsberger, bass

Performers
Opus 136
   Coro di voci bianche dell'Arcum
   Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
   Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
   Myung-Whun Chung, conductor

Opus 80
   RIAS Chamber Choir
   Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
   Claudio Abbado, conductor

Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Year: 1991 & 1996; 1997
Total Timing: 52.49

 

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