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‘Beethoven put all of his tools, all of his knowledge, all of his spirituality into this piece,’ said conductor Jérémie Rhorer about Beethoven's Missa solemnis in a recent Gramophone interview with David Patrick Stearns.

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‘It’s said that compositional technique is not about the number of tools but about knowing how and the right moment to use them. I was always intrigued by the nature of the testament of this musical Everest: how it was built, what it was for, its expression of faith.’

Rhorer's recording of Missa solemnis with soloists including soprano Chen Reiss, mezzo Varduhi Abrahamyan, tenor Daniel Behle, bass Tareq Nazmi, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie and Audi Jugendchorakademie on Alpha is released today.

If you are interested in comparisons for Rhorer's new recording, among the current prime recommendations for Beethoven's Missa solemnis are Harnoncourt's with Concentus Musicus Wien on Sony (reviewed in August )