Beethoven's 'Missa Solemnis' on May 1

Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” will be performed on May 1 at the Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts in Fallbrook. In this rarely performed work, the musical forces of orchestra, large chorus, quartet of solo voices and solo violin are combined to make this one of the most powerful pieces in music history. The wide range of sustained notes, the fugal sections, the jagged and twisting lines — all this, while conveying a symbolical meaning to the text, creates a great challenge for any vocal group. “The pitches in this music, which are very high for sopranos,” says Brenda Montiel, president of Fallbrook Music Society, “were actually a half-step lower in Beethoven’s time, making it even more difficult to perform today.”

The concert will be held Sunday, May 1, at 3 p.m. at the Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts, 2400 S. Stage Coach Ln., Fallbrook. Conductor’s Preview will be 2:30 p.m. For tickets, call (760) 451-8644. For information, call (760) 728-4056.