Saturday, March 19, 2011

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis at Allen Temple

What a great event! Last night I played with the Cantare con Vivo orchestra and chorus in a performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. He composed it when he was completely deaf, and it is  truly an amazing work of music, with many challenging tempos, juxtaposed dynamics and athletic passages for the doublebasses. Allen Temple is a marvelous organization, and I met a lot of very nice folks there. This event was a fundraiser for their after school music program held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and was underwritten by the Irvine Foundation. A remarkable event overall. We repeat our performance tonight at the First Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek.