Missa Solemnis / Berlioz Festival

Museum Overview

The Missa Solemnis, which Beethoven considered his most accomplished work, is performed on period instruments by the Cercle de l'Harmonie conducted by Jérémie Rhorer in the setting of the abbey church of Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye.

Beethoven's Missa solemnis for soloists, choir, and orchestra was composed between 1818 and 1823 and premiered in its entirety on April 7, 1824, at the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Society. Large excerpts (Kyrie, Credo, and Agnus Dei) were subsequently performed at the concert given in Vienna on May 7, 1824, in honor of Archduke Rudolf, the commissioner and dedicatee of the work, and during which the Ninth Symphony was premiered.
The work follows the liturgical structure of the Ordinary of the Mass in five movements: the Kyrie, an expressive and meditative chorale with increasingly complex contrapuntal writing; the Gloria, alternating bursts of the choir and interventions by the soloists; the Credo, which culminates in a monumental and virtuosic fugue illustrating the affirmation of faith; the Sanctus, illuminated by a violin solo of great spiritual elevation; the Agnus Dei, tender and contemplative, which ends with a call for universal peace.
The dialogues between the voices and the orchestra, as well as an exceptionally rich instrumentation, give this solemn mass, which Beethoven considered his most accomplished work, an unprecedented dramatic density.
It will be adorned with the colours of the period instruments of the Cercle de l'Harmonie directed by Jérémie Rhorer.

Characteristics
INTERPRETERS
Le Cercle de l'Harmonie
Jérémie Rhorer, director
soprano (in progress)
Anna Kissjudit, mezzo-soprano
Daniel Behle, tenor
Johannes Weisser, bass

PROGRAM
Ludwig van Beethoven
Missa Solemnis in D major, op. 123

Built from the 12th to the 15th century, the abbey church of Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye was erected under the impetus of the Antonines, a hospitaller order of physician monks who spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, around the relics of Anthony the Egyptian.
It welcomed pilgrims from all over the world who came to venerate the relics of Saint Anthony the Egyptian and benefit from his miraculous healing powers. Thanks to Prosper Mérimée, the abbey church has been listed as a historical monument since 1840. In addition to its architectural beauty, the interior boasts a rich interior decoration with murals, sumptuous woodwork, and exquisitely crafted reliquaries. A 17th-century organ with 44 stops stands opposite the nave.
Since April 10, 2010, Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye has been classified among the most beautiful villages in France.

Rates / opening