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Reviews of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
Performed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra:

The Hartford Courant: Soulful Performance Of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis At Bushnell
by Jeffrey Johnson
May 18, 2008

By imagining the opening Kyrie as a 'slow introduction' and the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei that follow as a symphonic conception, conductor Edward Cumming argued during an inspired pre-concert discussion, we could hear Beethoven's Missa Solemnis as a 'sacred symphony.' He claimed that it 'asks vocalists to sing as instruments' within the orchestra, and that the work is universally regarded 'as one of the most difficult works in the choral repertoire.'

Difficult it is, and perhaps even impossible in its demands on technique and endurance for singers. The Hartford Chorale and Concora, prepared by Music Director Richard Coffey, were not intimidated, however, and it became the centerpiece in an uncompromising performance on Friday. They, along with soprano Inna Dukach, mezzo soprano Janine Hawley, tenor Steven Tharp, and bass Kevin Deas, joined the Hartford Symphony in Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Center in a program that consisted of only one work: the Missa Solemnis by Beethoven.

It was an amazingly detailed choral performance. The low alto line that opens the Gloria and every word of the quiet bass entry on 'et in terra pax' could be clearly heard. The chorus was able to maintain balance in sections in which quiet singing collides with passages sung at top volume. The 'in Gloria Dei' fugue from the Gloria had a most attractive dance quality. Attention to articulation helped define rhythmic motives and create a network of associations developed by the orchestra. In this sense, the singers really did feel like an extension of the orchestra.

A professional choir might have been able to round off every high B-flat and create a sound closer to icy perfection, but I would choose to hear The Hartford Chorale and Concora anytime. It was as soulful a performance of this work as you are likely to ever hear.

The soloists had effective moments, and brought an operatic quality to the largely ensemble singing required of the soloists. The Agnus Dei benefited most directly from their approach, as dramatic juxtapositions of military music and musical pleadings for peace take on the feel of an operatic scene.

The orchestra excelled, particularly in darker, more reflective moments such as the 'Präludium' that precedes the Benedictus. The low G played by organ at the close of that section made it seem as if the whole theater were slowly vibrating.

This event seemed to stun and enrapture the Hartford audience. I cannot recall any concert in which the audience was this quiet - no wrappers, no shifting, no coughing - just silent concentration for a single work that lasted an hour and a half without a significant break. The standing ovation at the close of the performance happened in what seemed to be a single motion.

Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant

In The Spotlight: Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
by Donna Bailey-Thompson
May 19, 2008

During the concert preview of Beethoven's monumental Missa Solemnis, Music Director Edward Cumming was moved to remark that it is the single most difficult score he has ever and may ever conduct. That well may be true but with baton in hand, he conducted the assemblage - the full Hartford Symphony, four soloists, and in tandem with Music Director Richard Coffee the 150+ voices of the Hartford Chorale and CONCORA - with a disciplined passion for the demands of the music's exalted moods. Mouthing the Latin words, exuding love of the score, Cumming belied any difficulty inherent in conducting this complicated, multi-faceted work.

The Mass in D Major, Opus 123, "Missa Solemnis" is a Mass set to music - Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei - and requires soloists to perform seemingly impossible vocal gymnastics. The distinctive voices of soprano Inna Dukach, mezzo soprano Janine Hawley, tenor Steven Tharp, and bass Kevin Deas were reverent, supplicatory, solemn, joyous, earning heightened appreciation for the wondrous dexterity of the human voice. At times, the chorus sopranos sustained notes that trailed away like a bell: reverberations disappeared into nothingness.

The combined sounds of singing voices and musical instruments, including organ and percussion, enveloped the audience with the brilliance of Beethoven's genius - variances of harmony, tempo, and subtle surprises that appealed to the soul and the mind. During the Credo, Beethoven acclaimed his admiration of Handel, his favorite composer, by incorporating into the score slightly tweaked phrases from The Messiah. In the Sanctus, there was "Hosanna in the highest," and during the Agnus Dei, "For He will live forever and ever!" Composed during his last years, Beethoven (1770-1827) considered the challenging Missa Solemnis his greatest musical accomplishment. He imbued the notes with his evolving spiritual belief, his awe of and deep love for God. With the entreaty, "Grant us peace," the final concert of the 2007-08 Masterworks Series came to a hushed conclusion. Within a few moments, the audience was on its feet applauding and cheering, blessing the musicians with multiple curtain calls.

Copyright © 2008, In The Spotlight, Inc.