I joined local choir CanZona (the median capital letter differentiates it from the ensemble Canzona) for a performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle<\/i> in aid of our church organ fund.<\/p>\n
Years ago the Cambridge Chamber Group was going to do this piece, but with external soloists, contrary to this choir’s usual practice. The conductor, Ian Moore, said that Rossini’s apparent wish that soloists come from the choir was just his little joke and he didn’t really mean it. This time we followed Rossini’s direction and used our own soloists.<\/p>\n
Last time I sang this piece I made a highly embarrassing mistake, so I was relieved that there was no equivalent mishap this time. The chorus parts are not physically demanding, but you have to be on the ball with split-second timing, as you’d expect from a composer of comic opera.<\/p>\n
I have remarked before on the curious imbalances in the piece and I’m puzzled by, for example, the ritornello<\/i> that is just a few bars, played once only, and the downbeat ending of the Agnus Dei<\/i>(the major key of the final section being a bit like an extended tierce de Picardie<\/i> and not really changing the mood all that much). Second time round, I notice that the that opening intervals of the Et vitam venturi<\/i> fugue are as in Beethoven’s setting of the same text.<\/p>\n
There appears to be a minor industry in hiring ‘authentic’ French harmoniums specifically for this piece. Ours came from London, and I know of another which went from Yorkshire to a performance in Cardiff a couple of weeks earlier. I can’t remember what we did in Bristol Cathedal – perhaps a chamber organ subsituted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I joined local choir CanZona (the median capital letter differentiates it from the ensemble Canzona) for a performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle in aid of our church organ fund. Years ago the Cambridge Chamber Group was going to do … Continue reading