Thu, 17. 12. 2020, 7.00 p.m.

A3 BEETHOVEN 250

Venue: Zlín Congress Centre  |  Organizer: Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinů, o.p.s.  | 

Beethoven anniversary year comes to a head at the Zlín Philharmonic with an exceptional concert in December, 250 years to the day since Beethoven was christened in Bonn. On this occasion we present a work which the composer himself described towards the end of his life as one of his most successful - his solemn mass in D-major, better known by its Latin title Missa Solemnis, which undoubtedly ranks among the best of anything that the history of music has produced. A work of great spiritual depth, it demonstrates the composer's profound conviction that mankind, through music, has enormous power to inspire true faith in his fellow man.

The Missa Solemnis was written from 1817–23 and subsequently dedicated to Beethoven's great patron and then Archbishop of Olomouc Jan Rudolf. Although the work is written to the text of the Mass, its sheer scale and the large number of musicians needed to perform it mean that it was not conceived to be performed in a church setting. It can be noted, nevertheless, that the first complete performance of Beethoven's Mass in a liturgical setting took place in June 1830 at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Varnsdorf, North Bohemia.

The solo singing parts are performed by prominent Czech opera singers, and the challenging choral score by one of our most highly respected choirs - the Czech Philharmonic Choir from Brno under their acclaimed choral director Petr Fiala.
At the podium for this performance is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra, Leoš Svárovský.