Herbert von Karajan conducts Beethoven's Missa solemnis
Berliner Philharmoniker
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Cast
Lella Cuberli — Soprano
Trudeliese Schmidt — Alto
Vinson Cole — Tenor
José van Dam — Bass
Leon Spierer — Violinist
David Bell — Organist
Program notes
Longstanding artistic collaborators, the conductor Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker present a magnificent performance of one of Beethoven’s greatest masterpieces. At the age of 54 in 1824, Beethoven was at the height of his art: he would premiere both his Missa Solemnis and his celebrated Ninth Symphony in the same year! Despite total deafness, it is a testament to the brilliance of his works that they would influence European contemporary composers of all stripes, from Rossini and Schubert to Weber and Liszt. Beethoven suffered from illness constantly beginning in 1825, eventually dying two years later during a violent storm.