Beethoven: Missa solemnis, Op. 123 (Live)

Chronique

Marek Janowski's recordings for Pentatone have become audiophile treasures, thanks to his exceptional interpretations, first-rate artists, and the label's vibrant multi-channel sound. For more than a decade, Janowski has recorded impressive surveys of the music dramas of Richard Wagner, the tone poems of Richard Strauss, and the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, so this 2017 release of Ludwig van Beethoven's Missa Solemnis is a fascinating departure from the expected operatic and symphonic output. This large-scale mass for four vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra is one of the great monuments of Western sacred music, comparable to Bach's Mass in B minor in its spiritual scope and Handel's Messiah in its expressiveness and humanity. Janowski leads the MDR Leipzig Radio Chorus and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, shaping a glorious performance with a full-sized chorus and an orchestra with modern instrumentation, and the extraordinary dimensions of the sound give the music a spaciousness and depth that most other recordings lack. While Janowski adheres to a conventional approach, eschewing historically informed practices for a mainstream interpretation, the rich tone colors, clear details, and warmth of the DSD sound should appeal across stylistic camps, and the sheer power of this performance puts it among the all-time greatest recordings of the Missa Solemnis.
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