Beethoven's Missa Solemnis Blog #4

Mmmm... just a treat for the ears.

After listening to this excerpt, I have a few thoughts on sensitivity. Leonard Bernstein's way of showing sensitivity appears differently than that of the tenor soloist, for instance, but you can feel it, or rather hear it in both men.. The tenor soloist seems to sing with support and tenderness, when I can hear him.
The soloists seem to be well prepared, even though I hear more SA than TB. When the women sing together in minute 7, their vowels don't seem to quite match... Perhaps this is because of the need to modify the vowel in the extreme upper register? When the tenor enters in this same spot, I hear an even-ness to his tone. The soprano seems to narrow her vowels when she sings lower in her voice... I don't really hear extremely odd shifts in tone in the extreme registers, aside from the soprano voice as she modifies the shape of her mouth quite a bit in her uppermost register, or so it appears... Probably to make the most powerful tone she can..? The violinist plays so sensitively, especially at minute 4 when the chorus enters- it appears they are falling right in line with the mood he has effectively set up. At the end of the movement, he compliments the imitative lines of the chorus well. A nice contrast.
I am embarrassed to admit, but I do not really hear the soloists sounding distressed... if they are singing powerfully, it sounds fitting to my ear considering the text of this movement. Perhaps the soprano voice has a distressed quality at times...? I think her voice is supported throughout, and very controlled. Love it.
The bass voice seems to blend into the background a bit.. his voice is not especially prominent to me.
The conducting is surely expressive, and Leonard Bernstein's facial expression is appropriate, and probably helpful to the chorus in this case. His left hand gives them more direction when the right hand isn't enough. While I don't hear the chorus very loudly, they appear to have a sense of the texts' translation and how it fits within the context of the work.