Beethoven's Missa Solemnis BBC Proms

Tonight at the Proms, a work of monumental power - 90 minute-long

breathtaking religious drama, a Mass where belief and doubt battle

for supremacy, set to music that's rich and uncompromisingly bold.

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. Sir Colin Davis conducts the London

Symphony Orchestra along with the London Symphony Chorus and the

London Philharmonic Choir in one of Beethoven's late masterpieces. It

took four years of intensive effort to compose this solemn work as he

studied Bach, Handel and Palestrina to see how they had approached

setting the Latin Mass. Beethoven finished his account four years

before his death and at an hour- and-a-half, this is one of his

longest and largest compositions. Beethoven made full use of all the

resources that were available to him, a large orchestra, a quartet

of soloists and an extensive chorus as well, 260 singers on the Royal

Albert Hall platform. He was determined to do justice to what he

described as "the fundamental truths of the text", creating

passages which are incredibly rich and symphonic, others which are

much more intimate, rather more akin to chamber music. You feel the

anguish and the anxiety. There is a sense of solemn serenity around the

Benedictus. I spoke to Sir Colin Davis and asked him if he believed

that some sense of faith was essential to performing this work.

I am sure that is true. You don't have to believe in the religious

sense, but when Beethoven says he believes, we have to go along with

it. It is an amazing piece of music, truthfully. That is what is so

tiring about it. Every number took him four years to write. So I think

he had a lot of struggles. There are comic stories of him being in

such a terrible state trying to write a few... What do you think he

achieved with the piece? I don't know if he achieved his greatest

piece. He pretty well prevented anybody from writing a Mass again.

Why is it so great? Why? Because the music is so good. The text had

been around for a long time. We all know the lyrics. It is finding a

way of showing respect for those lyrics, isn't it? That's true. He

was like that - passionately committed. At the same time he was

writing the 9th similar foe any, which, great though it is, doesn't

compare. Sir Colin Davis who conducted the London Symphony

Orchestra more than half a century ago. If you want to read more about

the work in tonight's Prom, Missa Solemnis, you can go to our website.

There is also full text there. Right now, I'm joined in the

gallery of the Royal Albert Hall by a man who knows this piece very

well. He's sung the bass solo role. Rodney Earl Clarke. You need to

believe in it, don't you? If it is necessary for you to believe, if

you take a look around here with the enormous number of people who

have flocked in here, they have faith in the performance and the

orchestra and in Beethoven. Why is it so difficult to perform this

work? It requires lots of rehearsal. I was at rehearsal earlier on today.

I can safely say that we are in for a special treat. I was watching the

rehearsal today, but also yesterday at the BBC Maida Vale studios, and

the chorus being taken over certain passages because there are moments

when the balance is critical? You have to make it clear that this

piece is very challenging to put together. You have the forces of

the 80-strong orchestra, 260 members in that chorus and the four

wonderful soloists. That's a feat of engineering to fit that together.

We are lucky here tonight to have Sir Colin Davis. Sometimes in great

choral works, the soloists are placed around the conductor, two on

each side - ladies on the left, gents on the right. Tonight, they

are going to be much more bunched up. Why is that? This piece is very

much an ensemble piece. It is essential that all four soloists

can hear each other so we can get this whole piece tightly performed.

They perform as a quartet? Exactly. What are you most looking forward

to - please don't say the bass solo? This is described as a five-

movement symphony. My favourite number is the second number, the

Gloria. I can describe it as a huge choral explosion. You have the

Benedictus in stark contrast, where the leader of the orchestra stands

up and has his internal dialogue with the chorus and the violin,

solo violin. It is a very special moment that, solo violin, alone on

the stage. Thank you very much indeed for being with us. Here

comes that solo violinist. Gordan Nikolitch is leader of the London

Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven's inscription on the score reads

"from the heart, may it return to the heart." The soloists this

evening, Helena Juntunen, mezzo, Sarah Connolly, tenor Paul Groves