Missa Solemnis

[Hofrat]

BTW, Berstein conducted part of the Gloria of Missa Solemnis at the inauguration of Lincohn Hall in New York.

[TiberiaClaudia]

When I first began paying attention to the various recordings of classical, I had no idea how differently two conductors could present the same work. I thought Beethoven was Beethoven and Mozart was Mozart and that was that...but I was still purchasing the "Various" and "Greatest Hits" types of CDs, nothing really specific.

Now that I'm learning there IS a difference between conductors I feel a bit overwhelmed because---there's a lot of classical music out there to begin with, let alone variations in recordings of it. I went to the music shop the other day and previewed different Missa recordings and couldn't believe the differences!!--and came away with Peter's recommendation of Otto Klemperer's recording. (My original recording was the 2 disc RCA conducted by Sir Collin Davis, which I think is slow as!) I like Klemperer much better--thanks, Peter, and everyone else, for your imput on this question.

I also bought Solti's Requiem (Mozart) and von Karajan's rendition of the Great Mass in C minor. I have von Karajan's Requiem and actually like it better than Solti's 200th anniversary version. Those of you who have heard both Solti's and von Karajan's Mozart Requiem, which do you prefer?

HOW can a conductor change tempo and so forth??? Didn't the composers leave specific indications for speed, etc? It may be a stupid question, but bear in mind I've no in-depth experience with music/musicology and little experience with performing music. How can Collin Davis slow the Missa way down, Klemperer perform it a bit faster, and David Zinman faster yet??

How would Beethoven have wanted it performed, or is part of the "art" of music the "interpritation" based on an individual's conception of the music/person who wrote it?

Very curious.

TC

[Johan]

I totally agree with you on requiem - I like also better von Karajan than Solti.

To your question of tempi. Usually we don't have absolute givings of tempi from any composer (no words will give absolute tempomarkings). Metronomemarkings of, say, van Beethoven make only the point stronger that each performance is its own. When they give us indications these are not absolute but coming under our interpretation.
It is debatable how large understanding you can have of the markings. I once heard the Ninth symphony's last presto prestissimo really slow played. The effect was incredibly majestic!

[Joy]

I've often wondered that myself TC why the conductors don't just follow the composer's instructions to the tee but I think that each conductor likes to put his own stamp on things and make it if not entirely at least partly his own. Also I think that's part of the reason why so many of us like one interpretation more than another.

[Sorrano]

Acoustics in an auditorium can also affect the tempo. If the audience in the auditorium absorbs the sound, then the conductor has to make adjustments so that the desired affect of the music is there. Otherwise, the sounds of the orchestra will be muddy or seemingly without energy, depending on what affects the sound waves.