Description

While perhaps not as renowned as the Missa Solemnis or the choral finale of the Ninth Symphony, the two compositions included in this volume nonetheless serve as compelling evidence of Beethoven's talent for creating profound and impactful liturgical music for choir.

Christ on the Mount of Olives (Christus am Oelberge), Op. 85, was composed in 1803 and subsequently revised in 1804. This oratorio features soprano, tenor, and bass soloists, along with a chorus and orchestra. The Mass in C, Op. 86, completed in 1807, is arranged for a solo quartet, chorus, and orchestra. Both pieces were crafted during a remarkable period of creativity (1803–1807), during which Beethoven also composed the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Symphonies, as well as the Fourth Piano Concerto.

Now, students of liturgical music, musicians, and enthusiasts alike can acquire these significant scores in a single, convenient volume, reproduced from the authoritative Complete Works edition published by Breitkopf & Härtel between 1864 and 1890.