Berlioz: Messe solennelle

Featuring

Hervé Niquet
Andreas Wolf
Adriana Gonzalez
Julien Behr
Le Concert Spirituel
Hector Berlioz

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Composition History

Berlioz undertook the composition of the Messe solennelle in 1824 at the request of the choirmaster of the church of Saint-Roch in Paris.

Notable Performances

The second attempt to perform Berlioz's Messe solennelle on July 10, 1825, was a genuine success, marking his first major project and the first time he heard his music played by an orchestra and choir.

Composer Biography

Hector Berlioz composed his Messe solennelle at the age of 20, without having received any formal lessons in composition or orchestration.

Performer Biography

Hervé Niquet, the conductor of this album, is a harpsichordist, organist, pianist, singer, composer, choral and orchestral conductor, and a specialist in French repertoire from the Baroque to Claude Debussy.

Composer Biography

After its initial success, Berlioz disowned his Messe solennelle and claimed to have destroyed it; it was only rediscovered in Antwerp in 1991.

Composition History

The first scheduled performance of the Messe solennelle on December 28, 1824, was cancelled due to errors in the parts and difficulties for the musicians and singers.