Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

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Music reviews of Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

Music Review: Gardiner becomes Beethoven
Rating: 5 Stars

Much has been written about this monumental work of the maestro; much has been argued about its status as a true liturgy work for the church or its profane character; Even more has been speculated about Ludwig's actual religious feelings.

Facts have it that the Mass was written for use in church: it was composed for the installation of Beethoven's friend Archduke Rudolf as Cardinal-Archbishop of Olomouc. In early 1819 Beethoven wrote: "The day on which a High Mass composed by me is performed during the celebrations for Your Imperial Highness will be the finest day of my life, and God will inspire me so that my poor abilities may contribute to the glorification of this solemn day." Solemn, humble, words, no doubt, which witty Ludwig had long proved possessed both the timing and the rhetoric to proffer.

On the other hand, we know that Beethoven was particularly anxious to perform this work in Vienna, at least in part. As there was a strict prohibition against performing even parts of the Mass in a secular context, he gave these parts a German text. So parts of the Mass did make it to the concert hall, for example on the same day as the first performance of his Ninth Symphony.

Furthermore, critics have put in doubt the liturgical context of the Missa Solemnis on account of the speed with which Beethoven passes over the passage "Credo in unam sancta catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam", generally seen as evidence of critical Catholicism or even his doubts about the church. ...

WAR
For instance, a key passage in the Mass is the recitative in the Agnus Dei. At first only dry beats on the timpani are heard. No music... just timpani thuds... What is it?... what is it?... where are we?... We are in the middle of nowhere, we are in the middle of terror, we are in the middle of war. Then the trumpets give a signal, smoothly, threateningly, the strings play a figure that is gooseflesh set to music. Then the alto soloist cries out fearfully: "Agnus Dei, miserere nobis" (Lamb of God, have mercy upon us). This cry is then taken up by the other soloists, resolving into complete calm, into well-ordered music: "Dona nobis pacem" (Give us peace). This is one of the most remarkable passages in the whole Mass, but I repeat, on the whole, the entire Mass is an appeal for peace.

This struggle for peace is also recognizable in the "Christe eleison". "Eleison" and "miserere nobis" mean the same: have mercy upon us, help us, don't leave us alone. Beethoven believed in his heart of hearts that sweetly, devotedly and devoutedly supplicating beseeching heartrending calls can wrench the best qualities of anybody or any power exhibiting a fearful authoritarian, violent stance, that is why he relentlessly strove to show his heart wide open, to make the powers of peace and brotherhood prevail over splitting, fighting and warring.

Gardiner makes the choir shout

Later on there is a similar passage, the fastest of the whole work, after the "Dona nobis pacem" (give us peace), a passage that resembles concert or symphonic music rather than a mass because of its strenuously battle-like overtones, at the end of which the chorus cries out in despair: "Agnus, agnus dei", very, very fast indeed. Has anybody ever heard an Agnus Dei shouted in church music? This cry is concerned with war and martial music. The cry finally blends into a prayer: Dona pacem (give us peace).

In bar 96 of the Agnus Dei, Beethoven scribbled: "prayer for peace within and without". What is the meaning of "peace within", and of "peace without". Can you harbour any doubt that peace without means no war? For peace within means no hostilities at home, whereas peace without stands for no hostilities in between countries, outside the bounds of the countries. It would be unimaginable to envisage the passage with trumpets and timpani in the Agnus Dei from bar 164 onwards deals with peace without. On the other hand, no peace within surely stands for the overflown tragedies that surpassed any degree of control and suffer under the aegis of chaos. A city in flames. its houses turned to debris, lost children and parents bodes ill for the future of such injured communities: Agnus Dei from bar 266 onwards represents inner turmoil which at least demands our devoutest prayers for inner peace, and surely call for action to relief the victims.

Tempi

Beethoven used many different tempi in this work, slightly less than Mozart used in an opera. In virtually every major work of Mozart's we find a basic tempo which he constantly reverts to. Conversely, in Beethoven's Mass, almost every tempo occurs only once in each section.

Beethoven seems to have been at some pains to describe his tempi (don't let's forget that by the time he was 50, he tended more and more to leave less and less to the incidental performer's chance decision. A striking example is Hammerklavier's "adagio sostenuto e con molto sentimento", where even unsatisfied by his unambiguous statement at the beginning of the movement, when the sensuous, tender, highly vibrating famous passage comes round, he adds: for the first voice, played by the right hand "cantando con intensità", and for both hands: "con grande espressione e libertà" ...

It has often been said that if Beethoven had been aware of later technical improvements, such as the valve horn, he would have composed the whole Missa differently.

He could also have changed a good deal in the vocal writing, e.g., leaving out the very high notes in the chorus. He could have set some of them lower. He might have chosen different keys; then everything would have been performed effortlessly and smoothly. The audible effort, the strain, even those aspects of the score that go wrong are essential aspects of Beethoven's particular aesthetics.

Gardiner

Description of Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

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