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Rossini - Petite Messe solennelle

£14.51

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Label: Pentatone

Cat No: PTC5186797

Barcode: 0827949079764

Format: Hybrid SACD

Number of Discs: 1

Genre: Vocal/Choral

Release Date: 12th April 2019

Works

Rossini, Gioachino

Petite Messe solennelle

Artists

Eleonora Buratto (soprano)
Sara Mingardo (mezzo-soprano)
Kenneth Tarver (tenor)
Luca Pisaroni (bass)
Wiener Singakademie
Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg

Conductor

Gustavo Gimeno

Works

Rossini, Gioachino

Petite Messe solennelle

Artists

Eleonora Buratto (soprano)
Sara Mingardo (mezzo-soprano)
Kenneth Tarver (tenor)
Luca Pisaroni (bass)
Wiener Singakademie
Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg

Conductor

Gustavo Gimeno

About

In Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle (1863-1867), sacred tones blend in seamlessly with allusions to his comic operas. "Is this sacred music which I have written or music of the devil?", the composer tellingly asked himself in a personal letter. Rossini's enigmatic but highly enjoyable mass demonstrates his rich musical palette, ranging from "archaic" remnants of Bach, Haydn and Mozart to harmonic audacities that point towards the music of Fauré and even Poulenc. Despite this stylistic range, the Petite Messe Solennelle sounds unmistakably Rossinian, and continues to enchant audiences to this day. Initially composed for a small ensemble of singers accompanied by two pianos and a harmonium, the piece is presented here in Rossini's orchestration.

With this Rossini recording, the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and its Music Director Gustavo Gimeno continue their acclaimed PENTATONE series of composer portraits that already featured monographs of Shostakovich, Bruckner, Ravel, Mahler, Stravinsky and Debussy. On this album they work together with organist Tobias Berndt, the Wiener Singakademie and a quartet of outstanding soloists: Eleonora Burrato (soprano), Sara Mingardo (mezzo-soprano), Kenneth Tarver (tenor) and Luca Pisaroni (bass).

Sound/Video

Paused

1

Petite Messe Solennelle: I. Kyrie
2

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIa. Gloria In Excelsis Deo
3

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIb. Gratias Agimus Tibi
4

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIc. Domine Deus
5

Petite Messe Solennelle: IId. Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi
6

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIe. Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
7

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIf. Cum Sancto Spiritu
8

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIIa. Credo In Unum Deum
9

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIIb. Crucifixus
10

Petite Messe Solennelle: IIIc. Et Resurrexit
11

Petite Messe Solennelle: IV. Preludio Religioso - Ritornello
12

Petite Messe Solennelle: V. Sanctus
13

Petite Messe Solennelle: VI. O Salutaris Hostia
14

Petite Messe Solennelle: VII. Agnus Dei

Europadisc Review

It’s always a pleasure to hear Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle, whether in its original compact scoring for 12 singers, two pianos and harmonium or, as heard on this new Pentatone recording and most frequently on disc, in its expanded orchestral version, prepared by Rossini himself. Originally composed for performance in a private chapel, it is an old man’s glance back to a lost world, but with characteristic flashes of real genius and surprisingly forward-looking detail. Debate continues to rage over which version is preferable, but for those who relish the sound of fuller forces, this new account under the baton of Gustavo Gimeno is sure to win many admirers.

For a start, Gimeno coaxes some idiomatically Italianate sounds from his Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, with pungent brass not too raw, and wind playing of real distinction. And then there’s the assured choral sound of the venerable Wiener Singakademie, the accomplished amateur chorus of Vienna’s Konzerthaus. They too sound as though they relish the Italian idiom, with its mixture of liturgical tradition stretching back centuries and operatic gestures straight out of the mid-19th century. They excel in the full choral numbers, not least the a cappella ‘Christe eleison’ and the ‘Cum Sancto Spiritu’ that concludes the Gloria. There’s some fine organ playing, too, from Tobias Berndt at the organ of Luxembourg’s Philharmonie, making this performance of the Preludio religioso that precedes the Sanctus one to savour.

What really makes this recording special, however, alongside Gimeno’s sure pacing and innate feeling for Rossini’s style, is the quality of the solo singing. Tenor Kenneth Tarver brings a pleasing ardour to the ‘Domine Deus’, and bass Luca Pisaroni sounds mightily impressive without being overbearing in the ‘Quoniam tu solus’. It was the singing of the young Marchisio sisters, Carlotta and Barbara, that contributed to Rossini’s original inspiration for the Mass; and he would surely have been moved to hear the singing of soprano Eleonora Buratto and mezzo Sara Mingardo on the present disc. Together they deliver a memorable account of the ‘Qui tollis’, while Buratto brings her operatic experience to bear in the bluesy (yes, that’s the right word!) ‘Crucifixus’. It is, however, Mingardo who crowns the performance with her radiant, full-blooded yet ever sensitive singing in the concluding Agnus Dei. She excels in this repertoire, and this is not her first recording of the work, but she seems to inspire choir and orchestra to raise their game still further for the Mass’s closing pages. Indeed, it’s worth of the price of the whole disc for this movement alone.

Pentatone’s exemplary surround sound recording is well up to their usual standards, helped by the Luxembourg Philharmonie’s exemplary acoustics, and booklet documentation includes an authoritative note by Rossini expert Richard Osborne. In a week when the world’s gaze has been turned to events in Paris, this glance back to the city of Rossini’s ‘retirement’ in an earlier era is especially welcome and comforting. ‘Petite’ it may not be, but Rossinians everywhere will certainly applaud it.