麻豆社

For this first 'Proms at ...' matinee, in the stunning chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, the 麻豆社 Singers and Chief Conductor David Hill present the Proms premiere of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle.

Live from the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
Presented by Sean Rafferty

Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle

Elizabeth Watts, soprano
Kathryn Rudge, mezzo-soprano
Peter Auty, tenor
James Platt, bass
Richard Pearce, harmonium
Iain Farrington, piano
麻豆社 Singers
David Hill, conductor

"The last mortal sin of my old age" was how Rossini described his Little Solemn Mass - which, famously, is neither short nor solemn, and so influenced by the music of the opera house that even to call it a Mass seems out of place. Elaborate choruses, fabulously operatic solo writing - by turns dramatic, expressive and humorous - have made this extraordinary piece one of the icons of the 19th-century choral repertoire. In it, Rossini reflected the contrast of his own witty exterior concealing sincere religious belief. Here, joy is tinged with grief and anxiety, amid vocal writing of purity and pungency.