Philharmonic plays Beethoven’s little-known work

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Mass in C got a poor reception at its premiere. Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, who had commissioned Beethoven to write a Mass for his wife, listened to it and then told the composer how much he disliked it.

Beethoven reportedly fled the Esterházy palace after its debut.

“It was a professional failure for Beethoven early in his career,” said Matthew Greer who is conducting the St. John’s Chancel Choir, four soloists and the New Mexico Philharmonic in the work.

	If you go WHAT: New Mexico Philharmonic with guest conductor Matthew Greer WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 WHERE: St. John’s United Methodist Church, 2626 Arizona NE HOW MUCH: $25 general seating, $40 for preferred seating and $55 for VIP seating in advance at www.holdmyticket.com or at the door

The paired neighborhood concerts are Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24 at St. John’s United Methodist Church.

Greer said he’s not aware of any other performances of the Mass during Beethoven’s lifetime. In spite of the work’s inauspicious start, it has managed to endure quite well.

Greer said it’s a work he’s always loved.

The Mass has been described as an underrated masterpiece though less well-known than Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

“Of his two Masses, the Missa Solemnis is much larger, much longer and was recognized from the beginning as a masterwork. This Mass in C in a lot of ways is more accessible,” said Greer, the director of music and worship ministries at St. John’s.

“It’s 20 minutes long. It is really dramatic in the way he sets the text. It’s kind of show off-y. I’m telling the choir (in rehearsals) that Beethoven basically tries to dramatize every line of the text.”

Soloing with the choir are soprano Cammy Cook, mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Zander-Wall, tenor Seth Hartwell and bass Ivan Conrad.

“In the Mass in C there is a lot of quartet (singing) interspersed through almost every movement,” said Zander-Wall, an Albuquerque-based freelance mezzo-soprano who is founder-director of the Vocal Artistry Art Song Festival.

“The Benedictus, one of the last movements, is all quartet and choir and it’s really lovely.”

Hartwell said the Mass balances the texture of the chorus and the texture of the soloists evenly.

“It’s more like all four are working for a greater good than themselves,” said Hartwell, music director of St. Paul Lutheran Church. “It’s like the four soloists are a smaller version of the massive choir.”

The program also will feature the philharmonic performing the overture to W.A. Mozart’s opera “Cosi fan tutte” and playing with the winners of the 2013 Jackie McGehee Young Artists Competition for piano and strings.

The winners were to have been announced at the conclusion of the Saturday, Feb. 16 competition.