The Philadelphia Orchestra & Yannick Nezet-Seguin – Bernstein: Mass (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Mass by Bernstein, first performed in 1971, defies classification. It is not really a mass in the strict sense, but more of a kind of deconstruction of a traditional mass; after all, the full title is MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancersand the theme resembles a divine service which turns sour before finally discovering universal peace. At the outset, the world seems to be at one, but then “street musicians” begin questioning the need for, or even the very existence of, a god. Cacophony reigns until the cataclysmic elevation of the host, when finally peace breaks out, when the Celebrant brings everyone together around the holy spirit, before intoning a final “go in peace”. Bernstein’s score brings together all the myriad elements of 20th century music: jazz, blues, rock, Broadway, expressionism, dodecaphonism, modernism with a hint of Britten, street music, fanfares, classical song mixed with rock and jazz voices and Gospel recitations: a veritable Tower of Babel which is hard even to list in a single breath. But Yannick Nézet-Séguin can be trusted to knit all these disparate elements together. Note also that this is a live concert recording, with a breathtaking spatial distribution. Putting history aside, the FBI – never one to miss out on a chance to look ridiculous – decided that Mass was pacifist, anti-establishment propaganda and begged Nixon to boycott its opening night. After all, the work had been commissioned by Jackie Kennedy for the inauguration of the Washington Kennedy Center for the Arts, when America was in the middle of its Vietnamese quagmire…

Tracklist:
Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990)
Mass / I. Devotions Before Mass:
1 1. Antiphon: Kyrie Eleison (Live) 02:05
2 2. Hymn And Psalm: “A Simple Song” (Live) 04:22
3 3. Responsory: Alleluia (Live) 1:08
Mass / II. First Introit (Rondo):
4 1. Prefatory Prayers (Live) 05:08
5 2. Thrice – Triple Canon: Dominum Vobiscum (Live) 00:32
Mass / III. Second Introit:
6 1. In Nomine Patris (Live) 02:04
7 2. Prayer For The Congregation (Chorale: “Almighty Father”) (Live) 01:20
8 3. Epiphany (Live) 00:57
Mass / IV. Confession:
9 1. Confiteor (Live) 02:10
10 2. Trope: “I Don’t Know” (Live) 01:37
11 3. Trope: “Easy” (Live) 05:03
Mass:
12 V. Meditation #1 (Live) 05:35
Mass / VI. Gloria:
13 1. Gloria Tibi (Live) 01:50
14 2. Gloria In Excelsis (Live) 01:13
15 3. Trope: “Half Of The People” (Live) 00:59
16 4. Trope: “Thank You” (Live) 02:51
Mass:
17 VII. Meditation #2 (Live) 03:40
18 VIII. Epistle: “The Word Of The Lord” (Live) 06:30
19 IX. Gospel-Sermon: “God Said” (Live) 04:17
Mass / X. Credo:
20 1. Credo In Unum Deum (Live) 01:09
21 2. Trope: “Non Credo” (Live) 02:20
22 3. Trope: “Hurry” (Live) 01:17
23 4. Trope: “World Without End” – Et In Spiritum Sanctum (Live) 01:34
24 5. Trope: “I Believe In God” (Live) 02:05
Mass:
25 XI. Meditation #3 (De Profundis, Part 1) (Live) 02:52
26 XII. Offertory (De Profundis, Part 2) (Live) 02:02
Mass / XIII. The Lord’s Prayer:
27 1. “Our Father…” (Live) 01:23
28 2. Trope: “I Go On” (Live) 02:53
Mass:
29 XIV. Sanctus (Live) 05:09
Mass / XV. Agnus Dei:
30 a. “Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi” (Live) 03:36
31 b. “Dona nobis, nobis pacem, pacem dona” (Live) 02:44
Mass / XVI. Fraction: “Things Get Broken”:
32 a. “Pacem! Pacem! Pa… cem!” (Live) 04:28
33 b. “… Quiet…” (Live) 02:36
34 c. Allegro furioso – “Why Are You Waiting?” (Live) 01:39
35 d. “God… Said…” (Live) 02:09
36 e. “Oh I Suddenly Feel Ev’ry Step I’ve Ever Taken” (Live) 04:09
Mass / XVII. Pax: Communion:
37 a. Prestissimo a piacere (Live) 01:26
38 b. “Sing God A Secret Song” (Live) 06:33
39 c. “Almighty Father” (Live) 02:14