On Saturday night I had the pleasure of experiencing my first full Beethoven piece! I expected to be yawning half of the time as the singers and orchestra droned on and on. But there was SO MUCH talent spewing out of the UMS Choral Union and the Ann Arbor Symphony that I was captivated the entire time!
Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” was written about his spiritual awakening towards the end of his life, and according to the UMS website, he spent more time working on this piece than any others. Conductor Scott Hanoian brought “Missa Solemnis” back to life in UMS after 40 years! Not to mention, the soloists Erin Wall (soprano), Kelley O’Connor (alto), Matthew Plenk (tenor), and Nathan Stark (bass) were incredible!
More information on Betthoven’s “Missa Solemnis” can be found at http://ums.org/performance/beethovens-missa-solemnis/.
