Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor

By Matthew A. Bol

The choirs and orchestra of the Société philharmonique du Nouveau Monde (SPNM), led by Michel Brousseau, will perform one of the finest works in the sacred repertoire on Saturday, May 27 at 8 p.m. at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 355 Cooper Street.

Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor is one of the composer’s most compelling works, both for its emotional power and for its technical difficulty. Although unfinished, it is considered superior to all his other masses, except for his Requiem. A work of sacred inspiration that was dedicated to his wife Constanze, with whom he was madly in love, the Great Mass is filled with fugal writing that gives a subtle nod to the great Baroque masters.

On stage for this performance will be more than 150 choristers, a 27-piece orchestra and four talented soloists known for their vocal agility and the accuracy of their interpretation: sopranos

Ania Hejnar and Andréanne BrissonPaquin, tenor Emmanuel Hasler and bassbaritone Alexandre Sylvestre.

Conducting with intensity and sensitivity this powerful work that pays tribute to the composer’s musical genius will be Maestro Michel Brousseau.

Brousseau is artistic director and conductor of the SPNM. He has made his mark on several major stages in Canada, the United States and Europe. He has toured with his choirs throughout North America and Europe.

The program also includes Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate

The Société philharmonique du Nouveau Monde comprises the Orchestre philharmonique du Nouveau Monde and its three choirs from Ottawa, Montreal and the Lower Laurentians. The SPNM gives six to eight concerts a year in its three home cities: Ottawa, Montreal and Sainte-Thérèse. It also participates in festivals and other major events.

Admission is $35-$65. Tickets are available at www.spnm.ca/concerts and at the door.

Matthew Bol is treasurer of the Société philharmonique du Nouveau Monde and a Glebe resident.