Beethoven composed the Mass in C major for Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II, who commissioned a new Mass annually to mark his wife Princess Esterházy's name-day.
Composition History
Beethoven attempted to set Emanuel Schikaneder's libretto Vestas Feuer ('Vesta's Fire') in 1803 but found the task not to his liking, though he used two numbers from it in his opera Fidelio.
Composer Biography
Beethoven, whose deafness severely limited his career as a performer, relied largely on his income as a composer during the period he wrote the Mass in C major.
Performer Biography
The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1790, is the oldest orchestra in Finland and has won multiple awards for its recordings, including an International Classical Music Award.
Performer Biography
Leif Segerstam, the conductor on this album, is an internationally recognized conductor, composer, violinist, and pianist, known for developing a 'free-pulsative' style in his later symphonies.
Composer Biography
Beethoven dedicated his cantata Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt ('Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage') to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whom he met in 1812, though Goethe did not acknowledge the dedication.
Critical Reception
The Mass in C major was coolly received by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II, which annoyed Beethoven, especially after Hummel (the Kapellmeister) allegedly found the Prince's remarks amusing.
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