I've been listening to Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" (for probably the 30th time now). I had been forewarned that it's rather difficult to get a handle on. There are many great snippets there, but seemingly no grand purpose arching across the work. And it often seems to stray into no man's land, where it just doesn't make sense.
I've come to the conclusion (for now) that it's "progressive classical". 
Just as with prog rock, you can't always predict where the music will go. Often times, it seems to be mere grandstanding, without sense of direction. However, once you get to know the work very well, then it starts to make sense as a whole. At least that seems to be a good analogy for the moment. I know there are many haters of prog rock and such, but I have a great appreciation for the genre (although much of is certainly drivel).
So what do the "experts" have to say about this work? BTW, I'm listening to the Herreweghe version on the Harmonia Mundi label. Catch you later!
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
Posted on: 08 January 2001 by Mike Hanson
After posting that message, I listened to it twice more. I must admit that as my familiarity increased, so did my sense that it wasn't nonsense. I should also admit that I've never sat and just listened all the way through. I'll have to do this sometime soon.
As far as prog rock goes, I still have a great respect for much of it, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. Catch you later!
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
Posted on: 09 January 2001 by John Schmidt
Beethoven - Consistently recognized as a genius by generation after generation for 200 hundred years, long after his partisans have died off.
Prog rock - Consistently recognized as genius by the most self-congratulatory, self-promoting, over-schooled and under-educated generation in history.
Cheers,
John Schmidt
"90% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
Posted on: 10 January 2001 by David Hobbs-Mallyon
....if we are going to get into a Beethoven's greatest work, I'd probably go for the opus 131 string quartet. I thought I had heard that Beethoven considered this his greatest work - maybe it was Wagner.
On the subject of the Missa Solemnis, another of those 'facts' that I'm not sure whether it is true or not, but I believe that Furtwangler considered the work too great to conduct. I'm certainly not aware of any performances on CD.
David
Posted on: 11 January 2001 by Mike Hanson
I have to remind myself that I'm not a passionately religious person (passionate...Yes, religious...No). Therefore, I can't relate all that well to the "sacred" message. I'm also a little too cocky to bow down and ask forgiveness from some ambiguous deity. (Yes, I
am going to Hell.
)
From what I understand, Beethoven was also not very religious, and this work represented an inner conflict of is own. I'll give the work yet another listen (I've heard it about six times since my original message was posted), and I'll try to follow the libretto at the same time. Perhaps it will make further sense, even if I can't relate to it personally. Catch you later!
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
