If P.D.Q. Bach’s take on this elusive work resulted in the “Missa Hilarious” then Norrington’s take on a work that Wilhelm Furtwängler reputedly considered “unperformable” can only be called a “Missa Atrocious”. In attempting to direct one of the most difficult choral works ever written, and a major test for any conductor, Norrington here shows his true colors: he leads a hopelessly mediocre performance characterized by slack tempos, poor orchestral discipline, and monochrome textures. He finds no joy at all in the Gloria, with backwardly balanced brass and a final fugue that stubbornly refuses to take wing.
Although theoretically a proponent of “authentic instruments” and period performance practice, Norrington fails to impart any of the crispness or clarity typical of this approach at its best. The Sanctus sounds saccharine, his Dona nobis pacem utterly lacks terror, and the military interventions on trumpets and drums are underplayed. Diffuse, muddy recorded sound and indifferent solo singing complete a recording that is a complete non-starter. The SWR archives are full of important historical treasures. Whatever the possible motivation (other than the purely political) that could have justified this release, it’s clear that musical values had nothing to do with the matter. Of the reference editions listed above, Harnoncourt’s may be the easiest to find at present, though Szell’s is unquestionably the most amazing performance of this piece that I have ever heard, and it’s worth calling the Cleveland Orchestra and buying the whole commemorative edition to get it.
