“Missa Solemnis” Review

For me, the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique’s performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis was the most anticipated event of this semester. As a violinist, orchestral music holds a special place in my heart. I find relaxation and comfort in playing my violin and I would often find myself in a sweet trance whenever I listened to orchestral music. Prior to the performance, I wasn’t sure what to expect because I mostly listen to music of the romantic era, such as Camille Saint-Saens; Beethoven’s classical style was not as well known to me.

Nevertheless, I knew Carnegie Hall’s display would be breathtaking. From the top balcony, you get a sense of how enormous the concert hall is. The structure of the hall allowed for incredible acoustics, and the red velvet and chandelier were pleasing additions. The orchestra itself was flawless. They were in sync at all times, and not once did they make a noticeable mistake. The silence throughout the hall was also chilling. It’s an incredible feeling when you and the entire room of 2,000+ people share a period of silence. It was especially funny to hear a symphony of coughing when the orchestra stopped playing during intermission.

While the technicality of the orchestra was spot on, the music of Missa Solemnis was a little dry for me. I am used to the dramatic styles and melodies found within Saint-Saens’s compositions. This is not to say I was not impressed by the performance. I enjoyed the beautiful harmonies and strong voices of the singers. I have a lot of respect for all of the artists, but the movements were a little too repetitive for me. There wasn’t much of a build up and as a result, it was hard for me to maintain an interest at times.

Regardless, I still thought the performance was incredible in that all the musicians were a whole and the sounds were distributed beautifully throughout the hall. My favorite movement was Sanctus because it stood out from the rest and, in my opinion, contained a much deeper and richer tone than the other movements. In this movement, I remember hearing a shift in the orchestral sound. The high pitched instruments would die down and the chorus vocals were silenced. As a result, a calm and serene vibe was emitted from the stage. In some parts of the movement, it abruptly changed to fast paced melodies, which also helped capture my attention. In addition, I really enjoyed the violin soloist. It was incredible watching him perform under such pressure. Although the soloist was masked by the rest of the orchestra, thus making it hard to hear the soloist, I could tell how gifted he was.

Overall, watching the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique’s performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis was enjoyable and a pleasing experience. The Hall’s atmosphere and environment was chilling and the sounds produced by the orchestra were beautiful. Although it didn’t meet up to my full expectations, it was still a great treat to watch and listen to this amazing orchestra.

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