Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis / Mozart: Coronation Mass

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have always thought that Karajan's style was perfectly suited for the mysticism and spirituality of thegreat masterworks of Beethoven's last period; I think this is plainly clear regarding his 1962 performance of the ninth symphony, and is even more obvious here. Every part of this masterpiece (both the composition and the performance) is unforgettable; I particularly am in a state of rapture when I listen to the Benedictus; the violin soloist does a perfect job, along with the entire ensemble. Congratulations are particularly in order for the absolutely first-rate soloists. All of them produce some of the best performances of their mighty careers here. Although if you but this CD you are most likely doing so for the Missa Solemnis, the Coronation mass is wonderful too. Although in scope it is much more restricted than the great Missa Solemnis, it is a delightful work, and even though the soloists may not be of the same calibre as those for the earlier recording, they are still exceptionally good.

Testament to the extraordinary level of achievement the long
tenure of Karajan in Berlin built up. And the 4 soloists are
simply sublime. Janowitz' shimmering soprano irradiates
spirituality, the so lamented Wunderlich shows why he is
considered irreplacible, and the couple Berry/Ludwig are at
their reliable best.

My title sums it all up. This is quite simply the best recording I've ever heard of the great Missa Solemnis. Von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonia are at their peak and his interpretation of this great work conveys all of it's majesty as one of Beethoven's most transcendent works. The best part of this fine recording however is the performance of Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, the great Fritz Wunderlich, and Walter Berry. The soloists performance is what transforms this from a great work, to the masterwork that it is.

Karajan made a specialty of this great and difficult work, which he recorded no less than five times. I don't believe in duplicating reviews here at Amazon, but I am posting this one under each performance--they range from a live radio broadcast in 1959 from the Salzburg Festival to a digital recording from 1985 in Berlin. In general the sound improves as time goes on, and except for the last recording, the soloists are uniformaly world class.

Since Karajan's readings rank among the best ever made, I'd like to give a brief rundown of each:

1959 Salzburg (EMI): In many ways this is the dream recording. The orchestra is the Vienna Phil, the chorus the Vienna Singverein, Karajan's favorite--they appear in all his recordings. The solo quartet captures Leontyne Price in her prime--her glorious soprano is incomparable in this part. Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda, and Nicola Zaccaria join Price in a passionate, involved performance that brings more excitement and commitment than any other. The big downside is the tubby mono sound--you are aware of listening to a gigantic work through your home radio. If you can adjust your ears and listen through the sound, as it were, this was obviously a great event.

1960 Philharmonia (Testament): This EMI commercial recording came out originally in mono, only later in muffled stereo. It's been cleaned up by Testament for reissue, but the chorus is still fairly murky and distant. Otherwise, this is a deeply satisfying performance, the second best of the five in my opinion. The solo quartet is marked by actually singing, not shouting, and the four voices blend beautifully, which only makes sense, because Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, and Gedda had sung together for years on EMI. They would go on to make a superlative Verdi Requiem under Giulini. The bass again is Nicola Zaccaria, another old hand at EMI but not quite up to the other three. Karajan's conducting lacks the fiery intensity of the live Salzburg performance from the year before. Eerything is relative, though. This is still a strong entry, commanding in every way.

1966 Berlin (DG): From here to the end all recordings are with the Berlin Phil. This one came out nose to nose with the famed Klemperer set from London (EMI), and on the whole Klemperer is superior, thanks to somewhat clearer sound and an unsurpassed chorus trained by Wilhelm Pitz. Karajan's quartet is once again stellar: Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Fritz Wunderlich, and Walter Berry. Wunderlich was the greatest lyric tenor in Germany and sounds wonderful. I don't care for Janowitz's piping, hooty soprano, which sounds more like a woodwind instrument than a fully expressive voice, but I concede that I am in the minority. The sonics are a bit glaring, and they get ocngested in the massed passages with chorus and orchestra. DG may have improved the sound in the 1996 reissue on a bargain two-fer; I haven't heard it, although there's no doubt this recording is at times uncomfortably shrill.

1975 Berlin (EMI): Karajan has proceeded with at least one new Missa Solemnis per decade. This recording features another stellar quartet, with Janowitz held over from the DG set and sounding excactly the same. She is joined by Peter Schreier, Agnes Baltsa, and Jose Van Dam. All except Schreier were Karajan favorites at the time. They sing very well, even though one hears a noticeable drop from the earlier quartets. The recorded sound here is just as congested in tuttis as on the DG set. In general the performance shows no advance on earlier readings and in my opinion is the most negligible of the five.

1985 Berlin (DG) : For the first time one notices a leap forward in sound quality, thanks to digital multi-miking. From the outset there's more orchestral detail, cleaner separation of voices, and good highlighting of the vocal quartet. The engineers weren't stuck with a single microphone placement, which never could capture chorus, orchestra, and soloists satisfactorily. Unfortunately, when the big tuttis come in the Gloria, the chorus and orchestra become just as congested as before. This is due to Karajan's insistence on using a very large chorus; it always muddies when the music gets very loud. Over the years Karajan didn't drastically change his approach to the Missa Solemnis, and since this 1985 recording has the best sound, one wishes it could be recommended as the best document. It is badly let down, however, by the quartet, consisting of two unknown women--Lella Cuberli and Trudeliese Schmidt--who aren't exactly great discoveries, along with the light-voiced tenor Vinson Cole and a dry, aging Jose Van Dam.

With enough time and space, one could detail hundreds of differences between these performances. In 1985, for example, the Gloria shoots out at rocket speed compared to the other four performances. But this way madness lies. For me it's enough to know that all but the 1985 are great performances, the sound is about even between 1966 and 1975, with 1960 in serviceable stereo, while the live 1959 Salzburg must be counted one of those events that no one will ever forget who was fortunate enough to be present.

Of the many recordings there is no rival to this one. It features one of finest vocal quartets this (last!) century. Although not perfect -- the tempi at times sluggish, the balance odd in places, and the violin occasionally wanders out of tune -- nevertheless, the pathos of the performance are remarkably moving. Expressive directing by Karajan (one of his best performances); remarkably magnificent singing (notably by Wunderlich and Janowitz).

A wonderful recording. This twosome is now available as a bargain two-fer, and the new transfer helps these older recordings immensely. I have always loved Karajan's interpretations of Beethoven's later works (as another reviewer said). His 9th's, the three I have heard (1962, 1977, 1984) are all excellent, but the 1962 version is the best of that bunch. Similarly with the Missa Solemnis, between this release and his later digital (1985) effort for DG, this (1966) version features an all-star quartet as well as the BPO at its performing peak. I cannot recommend these recordings strongly enough. And the "Coronation" Mass is fabulous too! Listen to his rendition of the 'Credo', simply wonderful!

This is my choice for this recording. The only real competition I see for the Missa Solemnis is the Solti/Berlin performance from 1992, which features better sound and faster pacing, but a similar overall "Beethovenian" feel.

The setback of this set is the singing of the Wiener Singverein, for whom this music was obviously too much of a challenge. Karajan continued to use them throughout his career because of the breaks they offered him in his early years, even when they were not up to the task. They sound like a very good amateur choir. There are squally moments in the sopranos and the ensemble often lacks precision. They are still very listenable and the disappointment comes from wondering what might have been.

The sound too is occasionally raw and overpowering but this often happens with large scale choral and opera recordings from the 60's. It is, on the whole, warm and spacious and the solo voices are well caught.

And what solo voices they are! All of them at the top of their game and so well suited. There are so many sublime moments, of pure vocal beauty and wonderous musicianship. It is one of the few recorded treasures left from Wunderlich's brief life and his singing alone is reason enough to purchase this set. Janowitz is at her ethereal best in this recording, the exchanges between her and Wunderlich in the Benedictus have a seemingly effortless grace and stillness (let's not forget Ms. Ludwig either).

Karajan's recordings are now being reappraised and often not favourably (the Coronation Mass is really not competetive anymore. Was it ever?). But this recording shows many moments of a great understanding of musical power and structure. The Gloria is a great example. The great fugue in the "In Gloria dei patris" builds up to a thrilling climax (despite the choir, or am I being too harsh?), a sense of which is missing in the much more disciplined Gardiner version. The Benedictus contains a sense of nirvana, stillness and beauty that is no fluke. The violin playing here of Michael Schwalbe is something to behold.

On the other hand the Credo gets a bit ponderous, however the sense of completeing a profound, spiritual journey at the end is quite real. It is the combination of this with stellar vocal quartet which keeps this old warhorse still sitting shelf, and should keep it away from the knackery for a very long time.

As others write, Karajan is at his best here, conducting a truly epochal performance of Beethoven's sacred masterpiece. I own three different Missa Solemnis records; this is the one I play.

By the way, I must respectfully disagree with the reviewer who comments on the wandering violin line. Perhaps it was not to his/her taste, but the violinist is in complete control-- Karajan would not have permitted his soloist to stray.

The soloists team is far the best and Gundula janowitz cannot be compared to any other soprano. She had the voice of an angel.

Wonderful team of soloists, esp. Janowitz and Wunderlich