My weekly feature, but good luck if you want to find some "Christmas music" from Ludwig. But here's the opening, the Kyrie, from his fabled Missa Solemnis, a particularly great rendition, which certainly could set the tone for the next few days of reflection and celebration. And, also for the holiday, my Beethoven book, with Kerry Candaele.
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The "Credo" section of the "Missa Solemnis" has a chorus on the words "Et incarnatus est" which is kind of Christmassy. There are several "brands" in classical music: Mozart is a brand; Beethoven is brand...then there are works that ARE a brand and CONTAIN a brand. Such a work is Handel's "Messiah", and within it the "Halleluia" chorus which seems to be the go-to "Halleluia" chorus at Christmastime although it's contained in the EASTER section and not only after Christ's Resurrection, but after his return when he will laugh his enemies to scorn and break them with a rod of iron, etc. It turns out that Beethoven composed a kind of "Halleluiah" chorus for his "Christ on the Mount of Olives". It doesn't contain the actual word "Halleluia" in German or English, but although the work as a whole is rarely performed, the chorus "Welten, singet dank und ehre..." is sung from time to time in English as a "Halleluia" chorus, just as Schubert's "Ave Maria" a secular song set to a German text is usually sung, sometimes on TV talent shows, as the "Ave Maria" in Latin. The Beethoven "Halleluia" chorus in the original version can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1ufGDc5yLM
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