Search - Beethoven, Toscanini :: Beethoven: Missa Solemnis; Choral Fantasy

One of the greatest performances of anything ever recorded

Long-Time Listener | Wichita, KS | 12/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As for the fantastic performance here, I'm going to simply quote verbatim what Vincent Lau of Hong Kong had to say in his review of the performance on another label:



"This CD preserves a live performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis given on 28th December, 1940 in New York with Toscanini and his NBC Symphony Orchestra. And what an awe-inspiring document it is!



... I found this performance to be magnificent in every respect. While there are other ways to interpret this work, the reading here is an electrifying and inspired one with fiercely committed performances by all concerned. Toscanini's grasp of the massive score is nothing short of magisterial. Not only has he fully realised the structure of the work, every bar, and indeed every note, leaps out with total conviction as well as a sense of musical coherence and inevitability. There is a fiery intensity in the Kyrie and Gloria that can instill a sense of awe and even terror in the staunchest of hearts whereas the Sanctus possesses an abundance of warmth, compassion and humanity which so soothes the soul. This must surely rank as one of the greatest (and most convincing) Beethoven performances ever captured on record.



The vocally luminous quartet of Zinka Milanov, Bruna Castagna, Jussi Bjorling and Alexander Kipnis makes heavenly contribution, especially in the Credo and the Sanctus. Not only is each of them in fine form (which already means a lot having regard to the reputation of these master vocalists), their voices blend beautifully in ensembles and they perform as a team, each complementing the other to great musical and dramatic effect. The Westminster Choir sings with profound dedication, as if their entire life depended on the music. Their accuracy and incisiveness are marvelous (especially in view of some rather fast tempos adopted by the conductor) and their sonority most impressive. The NBC Symphony Orchestra is also on imposing form, and one can easily glean from the recording that the players have all pricked up their ears and responded to the maestro's every inflection with lightning speed and total spiritual identification."



I couldn't agree more. The earlier Music and Arts release presented this performance in excellent sound, given it's 1940 vintage; this re-release does too. The sound on the Music and Arts lable tends to be slightly fuller and richer than you'll hear on some other labels, but at any rate, whichever version you buy on whichever label, NBC did a pretty good job of capturing the full orchestra, chorus, and soloists given the technology of the time. This is a must buy for any lover of either Beethoven, Toscanini, or religious choral music. Absolutely incredible. Vincent mentions Toscanini's "rigid" style--it's true that in his later years, his performances tended to be less flexible and more driven than his earlier ones, which had greater warmth and relaxation in addition to their power and energy. This still counts as an "early" Toscanini performance, then: flexible, while still maintaining a consistent forward impulse that unites all the disparate parts of the music into a coherent whole. Under many other conductors, this music sounds episodic and it's hard to tell where it's going. With Toscanini, you may find that you understand it--and are moved by it--for the first time."