From Nederlands: Cappella Amsterdam and Orkest van de 18e eeuw/Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Daniel Reuss conductor and Chorus Director. Vocal Soloist: Carolyn Sampson [sopraan] Marianne Beate Kielland [alt] Thomas Walker [tenor] David Wilson-Johnson [bas]
This performance from Amsterdam is a model of choral excellence. The Chorus is Cappella Amsterdam.
My friend asked me: Why are there soloists in the Missa Solemnis? Yeah well, I’ll go even farther: Why are there vocal soloists in any symphonic choral work? Someone would say, “It’s to give the Chorus a break.” Reality: The Chorus doesn’t need a break since they don’t get to perform that often to begin with or during the season, especially these days where — with few exceptions — there are about three symphonic choral works that are programmed for Chorus and Orchestra. It wouldn’t be bad if the finest choristers were allowed to sing the vocal solo parts, but that’s usually not the case unfortunately. Usually screamers from the opera genre are invited in even though opera and symphonic choral works are two completely different genres. And some people who don’t know anything about music will go to hear the Beethoven Missa Solemnis thinking that it’s opera because of the screamers who serve as “soloists.” Opera = costuming, scenery and a story line.
Just like with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, the only live performance I have heard of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis is the performance I saw years ago in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with Dr Paul Traver’s outstanding 150-voice University of Maryland Chorus and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam with Claudio Abbado conducting. This was a superb performance, just like this performance from Amsterdam. The Washington Post music reviewer wrote, “The University of Maryland Chorus was glorious throughout.” Margaret Hillis (Founder and Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus) had recommended the University of Maryland Chorus to Claudio Abbado when he called her in Chicago asking for a recommendation of a Chorus in the DC area. She had worked with The Maryland Chorus — as they were also known — during a workshop on the University of Maryland at College Park campus.
The soprano soloist, Sheila Armstrong, for the Kennedy Center performance was interviewed by the local classical music station at that time, WGMS, and she said in the interview (it came sort of out of nowhere), “I’d like to make mention about this Chorus. This Chorus is one of the finest I’ve ever heard.” (I was shaking my head in complete agreement and thanking Sheila for saying that because up until this point in the interview, one would not even know that the Missa Solemnis was a choral work; instead the interview up until this point was all about her and her career). The interviewer at WGMS said, “We should mention that the Chorus is that of the University of Maryland.”
Later, when I sang with The Maryland Chorus, one of the sopranos was still in the Chorus who sang the Missa Solemnis and I talked with her. I mentioned to her that I noticed that she smiled throughout the performance and I asked her about that. She said, “It was such a pleasure for us to sing with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. Not too many people get that opportunity.” Indeed, and especially a University Chorus, but the University of Maryland Chorus was not your average University Chorus by any definition. They were a major Orchestra Chorus in the Washington Metropolitan Area with many performances primarily in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra, and also in New York’s Carnegie Hall, in London and in Europe (the Hallé Music Festival).
These days, the Missa Solemnis is not being performed often, well, like much of the symphonic choral repertoire. We’re down to The Big Three. That’s especially true in the States. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed it last season, I believe it was. I was surprised to see that.