Beethoven, Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123

Recorded live in Salzburg in 1979, the performance of Beethoven's Missa
solemnis was one of the highlights of Herbert von Karajan's Easter Festival
that year. Amassing the forces of the Berlin Philharmonic and the chorus of
the Wiener Singverein, Karajan provided an unforgettable experience
enhanced by the artistry of renowned soloists Anna Tomowa-Sintow,
Ruza Baldani, Eric Tappy and José van Dam. The Missa solemnis blends an
age-old religious service with a musical outpouring of human emotions in
an intensely personal manner. Beethoven conceived the mass for a religious
occasion, the installation of Archduke Rudolf as Archbishop of Olmütz
in 1820. However, he did not complete it in time and the work was given
its premiere in St. Petersburg on 7 April 1824. In his score, Beethoven
wrote the words "From the heart... may it find its way to the heart."
Indeed, the work's dramatic, almost volcanic fervor never fails to go to
the heart of all listeners.

Composer:	Ludwig van Beethoven
Title:	Beethoven, Missa solemnis in D major, Op. 123
Conductor:	Herbert von Karajan
Soloist:	Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Ruža Baldani, Eric Tappy, José van Dam
Orchestra:	Berliner Philharmoniker
Chorus:	Wiener Singverein
Video Director:	Herbert von Karajan
Genre:	Concert
Length:	88 minutes
Cat.No.:	A05004558