Beethoven’s mass marks 125th anniversary of Symphony Hall
The difficult work shimmered in parts but struggled to find unity
Photo courtesy of Winslow Townson/BSO.
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis
BSO and Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Conducted by Andris Nelsons
Boston Symphony Hall
Oct. 9 – Oct. 11
On Oct. 11, The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at Boston Symphony Hall under the direction of Andris Nelsons. The performance featured soloists Eleanor Lyons (soprano), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (mezzo-soprano), Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor), and Franz-Josef Selig (bass); it also included the Tanglewood Festival Chorus directed by Anthony Blake Clark. This performance of the Missa Solemnis celebrated the 125th anniversary of Symphony Hall; the BSO played Beethoven’s grand mass for the Symphony Hall’s opening on Oct. 7, 1900.
Beethoven composed the Missa Solemnis between 1819 and 1823, and the work is a setting of the Ordinary Latin mass. Composed around the same time as his Ninth symphony, the Missa Solemnis is reminiscent of the ever-changing styles and tempi of the Ninth’s famous fourth movement. Beethoven crafts the work around the text of the Ordinary, with the music often expressing his interpretation of the mass with little subtlety: for example, the orchestra plays ascending scales on “and [He] ascended into heaven,” while it plays descending scales on “and [He] came down from heaven.”
With its disjunct mood shifts, the work is hard to neatly categorize as either a late Classical symphony or a romantic symphonic poem. The work revolves so completely around the Ordinary libretto that these sudden character jumps may come out of nowhere to a listener not acquainted with the text. When played well, the Missa Solemnis can feel like a spiritual journey to the listener, in which the disparate pieces of the mass no longer feel surprising. The BSO’s performance, while excellent in individual moments, lacked a cohesion that tied the mass together.
While individual vocal soloists were excellent, they seemed disconnected when singing as a quartet. Soprano Eleanor Lyons’s voice had a clarity and grace that soared over the texture of the orchestra without being overbearing; tenor Klaus Florian Vogt’s voice was strong but well-phrased; and bass Franz-Josef Selig’s solo in Agnus Dei was dark and somber, fitting the libretto (“have mercy upon us”). In the Kyrie and Gloria, however, the overall vocal balance of the quartet left something to be desired. Although Lyons could easily be heard, Vogt’s almost-piercing heldentenor voice overshadowed both Selig and mezzo-soprano Wiebke Lehmkuhl. After Selig’s solo in the Agnus Dei, the quartet found a balance with each other through the end of the piece, leaving the listener wistful of what could have been in earlier movements.
The woodwinds were a particular highlight of the performance, playing with transparency and expressivity, especially in the opening Kyrie. Concertmaster Nathan Cole’s solo in the Sanctus, supported by the flutes, was otherworldly and beautifully phrased. The bassoon countermelody in the Agnus Dei brought a rich and dark sound that contrasted against the deep bass solo. The strings section also had a strong performance: their sound was precise and showcased individual voices in the (many) fugal passages.
Ignoring a rocky start in the Kyrie, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus sang remarkably well given Beethoven’s challenging vocal writing. I would not be able to tell the sheer difficulty of the work without looking at the score because of the chorus’s effortless execution. From the almost-whisper pianissimo of the Sanctus and Agnus Dei to the grand and characteristically-Beethoven fortissimo choral writing of the Gloria, the chorus nailed the dynamic contrast between these sections while supporting the soloists and maintaining balance between their individual voices.
The opening of the Credo was the best moment of the concert, with the “credo” (“I believe”) sung and played with such conviction that even non-believers would be compelled to dwell upon their spirituality. Beethoven, who became a devout Catholic only in his later life, uses this movement to affirm his conviction in his faith, and the chorus and orchestra captured his devotion in their performance.
Overall, the BSO’s performance of the Missa Solemnis had a somewhat lilting quality — stylistic jumps were met with unease and apprehension, but once the ensemble found their footing in the section, the performance was spectacular. Moments of unity within the ensemble made the concert enjoyable, even if it ultimately fell short of the spiritual journey that Beethoven envisioned.