Symphonie numéro 9 missa solemnis

Description

Between the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Czech conductor Rafael Kubelik, there is a long history that began in 1961, when he took office until 1980, long before he returned to his country and took the helm of the Czech Philharmonic following the political upheavals. He conducted almost everything with the orchestra, including a complete cycle of Beethoven's symphonies. This shows how well he knows the ensemble inside out when he conducts the Missa Solemnis (1977) and the Ninth Symphony (1985) in Munich with the same team of singers. Kubelik had a humanistic vision of Beethoven's music that respected the letter and was attentive to the subtext. Here, simplicity rhymes with depth. Kubelik conducts without ostentation, with his customary spontaneity. Aiming high and far, he takes his time to shape the orchestral texture, with each theme serving as a guiding thread (one hour twenty for the Ninth, a bit more for the Mass). There is no need to amplify the expression since it is guided by the articulation of the discourse. It is impossible to resist the fever of the Presto choral! Fired up by the presence of the Munich audience and the almost ecstatic voices of the singers, the Missa Solemnis possesses exceptional scope. On the vocal side, Kubelik brings together a dream team (Donath, Fassbaender, Schreier, Shirley-Quirk, Sotin, and Laubenthal). Simply put, two historic versions (including the live performance!) and the testimony of a conductor at the peak of his career. (Jérôme Angouillant)