Missa Solemnis

My free month of medici.tv is still running.  Earlier Thursday they streamed the Beethoven Missa Solemnis from Amsterdam.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Nikolaus Harnoncourt conductor
Marlis Petersen soprano
Elisabeth Kulman alto
Werner Güra tenor
Gerald Finley bass

The performance is surprisingly plodding and never seems to quite take off.  I always feel that it is correct to get very carried away with Beethoven, something Harnoncourt doesn't seem to do.  Nevertheless, one needs a Missa Solemnis every once in a while.

I wrote a lot about the form of this piece here.