Mozart’s Mass no. 18 in C minor was famously left unfinished, missing significant portions of the Credo and the entire Agnus Dei – Dona nobis. Despite this, what has survived remains one of the Master's greatest works and is now performed in various reconstructions. Conductor Gianluca Capuano chose a version completed by American scholar Robert Levin in 2005 which used fragments from 1783 and included a tenor aria from the oratorio Davide Penitente, where Mozart repurposed much of the Mass in 1785.
In the Felsenreitschule, the orchestra was Les Musiciens du Prince, accompanied by the choirs Il canto di Orfeo and the Salzburg Bach Choir. Capuano maintained tight control, generally favouring fast tempi and demanding, as well as achieving, absolute precision. Both the chorus and the orchestra exhibited an excellent sense of unity and ensemble, producing a crisp, terse sound. Performing a score like this on period instruments can sometimes feel dry, with the sound seeming "too small" for its grandeur, but Les Musiciens du Prince achieved a rich, nuanced sound that fully honoured Mozart’s magnificence. This orchestra is increasingly becoming a benchmark for period instrument performances.
After a grandiose Kyrie, Regula Mühlemann took the stage for the splendid Christe eleison. She had some difficulty keeping up with Capuano’s brisk tempo, but his support and guidance were unwavering. Her soprano was smooth on the high notes and sweet in the legato, though her lower register was less effective. The subsequent Gloria was explosive, with an exceedingly fast tempo and a dizzying fugue. In the following Laudamus te, mezzo-soprano Juliette Mey showcased a beautiful, crisp coloratura, though her high notes were occasionally a bit shrill. The tempo was once again breakneck, perhaps a tad too fast.
The choral Qui tollis was nothing short of magnificent, the singers divided into two choruses, responding to each other in their moving plea for mercy. The Miserere was particularly poignant. In the following trio, Quoniam, we were introduced to Jan Petryka, whose tenor was light and pleasant. In the famous Et incarnatus est, Mühlemann sang with sweetness and brilliant high notes, perhaps lacking some emotion. The trio of woodwinds accompanying her was amazing, and the shared cadenza was perfect. Here Mozart’s work ends and Levin’s begins, including classic fugues, impressive chorales and the Et in Spiritum Sanctum as an aria for Petryka, who sang with a very natural sound and good coloratura.
With a solemn Sanctus Mozart returned, followed by an intricate, Bachian Hosanna again in two choirs. In the following Benedictus, we met Yasushi Hirano, who sang with a pleasant, elegant bass that occasionally seemed a bit caught in his throat. Nonetheless, he made a good contribution to the quartet. Levin composed music for the Agnus Dei, but Capuano chose to conclude the concert with the music of the Kyrie, sung to the words of the Agnus Dei. It was a wise choice. The performance was even better than the first time, giving a solemn and sombre end to a magnificent concert.
