"Geniestreich" - Hector Berlioz: Messe solennelle für Soli, Chor und Orchester

In the organizer's words:

It was considered a musicological sensation when the manuscript of Hector Berlioz's monumental "Messe solennelle" was discovered on the organ stage of an Antwerp church in 1991, as the composer himself had claimed to have destroyed this early work from 1824.

The dramaturgical design of this choral-symphonic rarity demonstrates the early mastery of the just 21-year-old French composer and already reveals the development of his revolutionary style. At the same time, it marks the beginning of an impressive sacred work that runs like a red thread through the work of the free spirit Berlioz.

Performers:

Sofia Poulopoulou soprano, Fabián Lara tenor, Valentin Ruckebier bass
Choir of the Bach Society Cologne; Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne
Christoph Siebert Conductor