Concert Pulse
This season
In Köln
In Köln
Rossini: Petite messe solennelle
The opera master Rossini never lacked humor, and his unusual "Petite messe solennelle" is full of wit and irony, despite being "serious" church music. The title itself is a wink, as the only "petite" thing about this nearly hour-and-a-half-long mass is its unique instrumentation with two pianos and a harmonium instead of a large orchestra. This was due to space constraints in the private chapel of the Parisian count and countess who commissioned the work. This sacred chamber music gives the voices, including the famous Tölzer Boys Choir and the clear soprano of Lydia Teuscher, ample room for charming expression in this multifaceted, not-so-small mass.