Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123 (1819-23) [68:17]
Johanna Winkel (soprano); Sophie Harmsen (alto);
Sebastian Kohlhepp (tenor); Arttu Kataja (bass)
Kammerchor Stuttgart; Hofkapelle Stuttgart/Frieder Bernius
rec. 16-17 October 2018, Alpirsbach Abbey, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Documentary: Von Herzen – möge es wieder – zu Herzen gehn! (From the Heart – May It Go – To the Heart), a film by Uli Aumüller [59:46]
In German with subtitles in English, Japanese, and Korean (documentary only)
HD 16.9, PCM Stereo
NAXOS Blu-ray NBD0116V [131 min]
I was looking forward to this Blu-ray because, based on the tin, I thought it would contain a concert performance of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis plus the documentary. What we get is a performance of the complete mass, but not in concert. Rather, it is the performance specifically made for the recording that is available on CD—more about that below—and a lengthy film where Frieder Bernius discusses the work and rehearses with the orchestra, soloists, and chorus both in totality and individually with some of the musicians and singers. There are several cameos by individual performers showing their appreciation of Bernius and discussing their work with him. The artists on this recording took the mass on tour and one of the concert performances in a beautiful cathedral in the Italian Alps is available on YouTube for viewing.
Frieder Bernius has gained a solid reputation as a master of choral music. As the son of a Protestant minister, he sang in a youth choir and has always had a special rapport with choirs and choral singing. He founded the Kammerchor Stuttgart in 1968. He also has been a practitioner of historically informed performance for many years, although he began his career with larger groups in the traditional style of the times. His love of choral music informs the performance of the Missa solemnis filmed here. It has more in common with John Eliot Gardiner’s account on either SDG or DG Archiv (also lower pitched at A = 430) than with Bernstein (Sony or DG) or Klemperer (Warner). Another filmed performance that I highly praised on a C major Blu-ray is by the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Nikolas Harnoncourt (review). This has been my reference version, though I still enjoy Bernstein’s first account on Sony for its operatic and theatrical character.
With his smaller choir and orchestra, especially as compared with Harnoncourt’s Concertgebouw, Bernius brings out the chamber aspects in the devotional sections of the work particularly well yet does not shortchange the drama. The climaxes in the Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei movements are uplifting and the use of timpani with hard sticks adds the necessary crack in their firm sound. Vibrato in the strings is also used sparingly. This is an even quicker performance than Gardiner’s on SDG, but it generally does not sound rushed. Perhaps the Credo loses some of its majesty at the faster tempo than one is used to hearing. The vocal soloists, though not familiar to me and not likely to most concertgoers, acquit themselves well and blend nicely. The text is sung in Germanic Latin with long ‘e’ substituted for ‘a’ in the Credo and elsewhere that takes some adjustment if one is used to the more traditional church Latin. The violin solo in the Benedictus could have had greater presence, but is nonetheless beautifully played. Despite my quibbles, this account is an excellent one of its kind but I find that the Blu-ray is better for study purposes than for regular viewing.
The Blu-ray is divided into two parts, the first being the long documentary discussion of the work and the rehearsal with copious excerpts of the forces performing the mass. Then we get the complete performance that, as I indicated, was done just for the CD recording. The documentary shows Bernius going over the score and discussing it outdoors at a table and later at the piano, where he plays a theme and explains his approach to the work. He stresses the importance of learning a piece first at the piano. While much of this is interesting, it seems overly long to me. It would be more sensible to have had longer sections of rehearsal in this part and then a concert performance in the second part rather than the performance we are given. The booklet included with the disc contains a discussion of the work by Bernius, as well as a portrait of the conductor by Uli Aumüller.
The performance takes place in what is a rather cold abbey where the musicians are dressed in street clothes, many wearing coats and scarves to keep warm. Because this performance is done only for recording, there are microphones all over the place that are distracting to the viewer. The soloists are in front of the orchestra and the chorus behind, but the balance as heard is very good. Camerawork is also good, though you do not get the close-ups of individual choir or orchestra members that you do with Harnoncourt. There is some focus on the long trumpets, natural horns, and wooden flutes, which are fun to see, and many shots of the conductor. However, one comes away wondering whether this was actually intended for general viewing. There is a small audience present, who applaud after the performance. I compared this production with the audio-only CD version and the only differences are in the editing and cleaning up of the performance for the CD. There are noises on the Blu-ray between the movements, such as rustling of pages, coughs, and other sounds. More bothersome is an obvious horn fluff near the beginning of the Benedictus that was corrected for the CD.
For audio, there are plenty of choices for Missa solemnis, including this one on Carus 83.501, among other excellent representations on period instruments of this magnificent work. If you already have Gardiner, particularly his second recording, then you may not need Bernius. I know I shall return to it on CD for a fresh and lively view of the work, while also listening to Bernstein’s first account for its grander and more exciting interpretation. For viewing, I highly recommend Harnoncourt and the Concertgebouw. You may also want to check out Bernius in the actual concert performance on YouTube, while it is still available.
Leslie Wright
