La Missa Solemnis by Harnoncourt

In July 2015, just eight months before his death, Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducted Beethoven's spiritual magnum opus for the last time: the enigmatic, daunting Mass in D Major, "Missa Solemnis," a piece he only took on very late in his career, in 1988. Sony Classical has now released this recording, which took place at a public concert. Conducting his Concentus Musicus and the Arnold Schönberg Choir, he offers a restrained, pure interpretation of the piece, free from the often ponderous and overwrought approach that has affected so many conductors. Abundant pianissimos and plenty of silence allow the landmark piece to emerge in its full splendor with clarity and space. Suddenly, the lines become clear and intelligible, exposing the purpose of the "lengths", which seem to be much shorter in reality than they are. As a battle-scarred veteran, Harnoncourt gives us his most extraordinary gift of all: the ability to experience Beethoven as the composer heard it in his soul. If you could only save one recording, it might well be this one...

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