While scouring the thrift stores during my time in Boise I came across a store with a huge collection of classical records, most of which were only fifty cents for an entire 4 piece vinyl collection (ahem Schumann's complete piano trios for only TWO quarters, what?!?!). One of the records I'm most excited about is Beethoven's Mass in C performed by the New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra, and while it isn't THE BEST recording in the world it's still great to be able to listen to it. I spent so much time (probably more than anything else last semester) studying and preparing to performthis music for choir.
Although I wasn't very familiar with it prior to starting the semester, I was pretty confident nothing could take the high ranking in my heart for Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms which we'd worked on the year before, but I was wrong. I think it's impossible (for me anyway) to spend so much time with a piece and not have a strong connection to it after. I mean, to go over a work in so much detail and spending hours a week with it, staying late, coming in early on Saturday mornings to stand in ridiculously hot rooms on risers when you feel like you''re going to pass out from sleep deprivation, you have to love it, otherwise why are you there?
I studied this mass with two different choir directors, and while the differences in their technique were so interesting, the similarity was that they truly understood the text and music, and I enjoyed observing each of their techniques trying to convey the meaning to the choir in order to have it reflect in the performance. Its so great to learn from people who are so knowledgable and passionate about the music they teach. I always try to acknowledge and remember their techniques for future learning and teaching endeavors.
Beethoven's Mass in C has been referred to as his "most humiliating public failure" and is apparently the least performed of Beethoven's larger works. Regardless it is so much fun to sing - especially the fugues at the end of Credo. Especially all of Credo. Especially all of it.
Its great to hear this mass on vinyl, because a lot of what the orchestra is doing on stage is lost when you're singing from a choir. Even though I am confident that I have almost every note committed to memory, so much of the orchestral sound is projected out to the audience making it impossible to hear. I'm already on round two of listening to it this morning which is the nice part of being in a house in the middle of no where. If I were in my tiny Brooklyn apartment I would be constantly worrying about the volume and if my neighbors were plotting my death because me listening to this record on repeat means they are too. Luckily this turn table my aunt gaveme for Christmas has a headphone jack. Beethoven on repeat y'all!
