Petite messe solennelle

Concert of the Chorus of the Grand Théâtre

- Petite messe solennelle (Little solemn Mass)

Gioachino Rossini
Work of sacred music, premiered on 14 March 1864 in Paris.

Giulia Bolcato soprano
Teresa Iervolino mezzo-soprano
Omar Mancini tenor
Michael Mofidian bass
Xavier Dami, Réginald Le Reun and Jean-Paul Pruna pianos & harmonium

Chœur du Grand Théâtre de Genève
Mark Biggins Musical Director

«Good God, here it is, finished, this poor little mass. Is it sacred music that I have just made, or damned good music? This is how Rossini, five years before his death, addressed the Creator in the dedication of his Petite Messe solennelle. He was 71 at the time, and had been retired from the opera stage for over thirty years, composing only melodies and instrumental music, and from 1857 until his death, what he mischievously called his «Sins of Old Age». La Petite Messe solennelle was to be the last of these. Solemn, this Petite Messe is, as it should be, with all the common parts of the liturgical office. It is also small in scale, at a time when sacred music is usually grandiloquent and lavishly lavish.

Within this ode to the divine, Rossini’s humanity, sincerity and light irony shine through, making the Petite Messe solennelle unique in its genre. The Chœur du Grand Théâtre presents it in its original, unorchestrated version, with two pianos, harmonium and guest soloists soloists in the magical acoustics of the Saint-Gervais Temple. A unique moment, in the words of the dedication, of sacred music… and damned good music.