Missa Solemnis

Though I had never been to a professional orchestra performance before, I had attended school concerts and I am an avid enthusiast of classical music. Upon learning that we were going to be listening to Beethoven’s famous Missa Solemnis, I got a little bit excited. Coming from a catholic background, I’ve listened to the mass for most of my childhood and the opportunity to watch and hear a live orchestra play Beethoven’s piece was almost surreal.

Carnegie Hall was not as grand as I expected it to be, though I may have probably been spoiled by the architecture of the Lincoln Center. It did leave an impression on me though, as its design, while not as extravagant as the Lincoln Center, had its own merits. Its interior was much subtle, but that subtleness also helped emphasize the actual orchestra and the musical performance.

The orchestra’s rendition of Missa Solemnis was more than I had in mind. The sounds resonated beautifully throughout the hall. Though our balcony seats were situated far from the actual stage, I thought that had it the best in terms of sound projection. I thought that acoustics of Carnegie Hall were designed so that the balcony row would get to hear the fullest sound. This was certainly true for the woodwinds, which were a pleasure to listen to. The woodwind section, consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, quickly caught the attention of my ears. Having only experienced school concerts, it was usually the case that the string or brass sections overpowered the wind instruments. This was not so at Carnegie Hall, for all the instruments seemed to be in perfect balance in level.

Hearing the mass live and in full was a completely different experience from hearing at church, where there were only a choir and an organ. Having the orchestra play together brought Missa Solemnis to life for me. And this experience, having been my first real encounter with an orchestra, really illuminated what I was missing out on in terms of sound. Having been used to school orchestras and performances, listening to Missa Solemnis at Carnegie Hall was like trying Peter Luger’s for the first time after having eaten McDonalds all your life.