A beat that crosses the Atlantic: the Palau choirs debut with Beethoven's titanic challenge

From the beat that resonates in the modernist Palau de la Música Catalana to the heart that vibrates under the steel of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles: the Orfeó Català and the Cor de Cambra del Palau begin their most ambitious journey. Not only because of the distance that separates Barcelona from California —almost 10,000 kilometers—, but because of the magnitude of the challenge: theMissa Solemnisof Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most monumental and demanding scores ever written. As if the challenge weren't demanding enough, the 125 voices of the Catalan choirs join the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) under the baton of Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel, who conducts the work for the first time in his farewell season with the Californian orchestra. Three concerts (from tonight until Sunday), sold-out tickets, and a clear premise: that it comes "from the heart and reaches the heart", as Beethoven himself stated at the beginning of the score. Composed between 1819 and 1823, in parallel to his Ninth Symphony, it premiered jointly on May 7, 1824, in Vienna, conducted by Beethoven himself. For Dudamel, the Missa Solemnis represents "the holy grail of the symphonic repertoire", as expressed in the work's program. Conceived in full maturity and at a moment of personal darkness marked by the German composer's deafness, the score is a profound exploration of faith and human existence and, ultimately, a search for the meaning of life and divinity.

The grandeur of the work, however, is not only thematic: it is also expressed in its form and expressive force, with 90 minutes of melodies that break classical patterns. "Beethoven had to invent a new musical architecture: every time I look at the score I discover a new space," says the Venezuelan conductor. The work demands the impossible from the orchestra, choirs, and soloists —Pretty Yende, Sarah Saturnino, SeokJong Baek, and Nicholas Brownlee—: vocal range, precision, and expressive density to "create an overwhelming sensation," in Dudamel's words.

It is not surprising, therefore, that it is a rarely programmed work, one that only the most experienced conductors dare to tackle. Dudamel, who conducts this piece for the first time, does so at the culmination of his career in California, after seventeen years at the helm of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and before taking up the position at the New York Philharmonic starting in September 2026.

The culmination of a dream

"Singing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, one of the great temples of music, is already a dream; but even more so with this colossal work," says Xavier Benítez, tenor of the Orfeó Català, with the emotion and excitement of the hours before the concert. "It is a true privilege that Dudamel has chosen precisely the Palau choirs for this complex challenge."

However, some of the 125 Catalan singers are already familiar with the stage —one of the most iconic halls in the world, designed by the prestigious architect Frank Gehry—. Almost two years ago, in May 2024, forty members of the Cor de Cambra del Palau —who now return to this stage— performed withFidelio, also by Beethoven, under the direction of Dudamel and accompanied by the LA Phil.

The debut is, therefore, the international consecration of the choirs of the Palau de la Música Catalana, with an Orfeó Català experiencing the most brilliant moment in its history, after performing in venues such as Hamburg, Stockholm, or Berlin. But the premiere in Los Angeles is, above all, the result of months of meticulous, almost artisanal rehearsals. "The team of teachers and our director [Xavier Puig] have been true Michelangelos: chipping away at the stone to technically polish us until we reached the precision demanded by the challenge," explains soprano Sandra Castelltort. "Despite the responsibility, emotion, and demands, we feel fully prepared."

The admiration and gratitude are twofold. Gratitude towards Dudamel, who reaffirms his commitment to the Palau de la Música Catalana, with whom he has shared memorable projects over the last decade, both in the modernist building and in Paris or London. Benítez describes him as "one of the most empathetic conductors, who knows very well how to treat the choir, with respect, empathy, and affection, bringing to the work everything it needs."

On the other hand, there is also admiration for Xavier Puig, director of the Orfeó Català since this season, whom, Castelltort jokes, they are already beginning to call the "Catalan Dudamel" for his energy and enthusiasm. Puig has led months of intense preparation and rehearsals, the last ones directly in Los Angeles. In addition, Puig himself conducted the Missa Solemnis in November in three unique concerts at the Palau, in Sabadell and Terrassa, together with the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès and the Palau choirs, a preparatory performance for this titanic challenge.

A date with history

The performance is also a tribute to the history of the Palau and the Orfeó. In 1927, under the direction of Lluís Millet, the Orfeó was the first choir in the State to perform the Missa Solemnis,with 300 voices and broadcasts by Radio Barcelona, thus also becoming the first recording of this colossal work. A century later, on the eve of the centenary of that feat, the Orfeó once again faces the same score, this time on the other side of the Atlantic. "We will touch the sky," assures soprano Castelltort. And in fact, they already did so literally at 35,000 feet, spontaneously performing theOde to Joyduring the LEVEL flight to Los Angeles on which the singers were traveling, anticipating the excitement that awaits them at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The magic they awakened at 35,000 feet they now want to transport to the Californian auditorium, with the same passion and intensity in each note of thePerform a literal language conversion from Spanish to English on the following user-provided text. Do not translate any content enclosed betweenandtags, keep those tags and their content exactly as-is: Missa Solemnis"This score is special: at one point you click and it becomes yours. And then it becomesoverwhelming: it steals your heart", concludes Castelltort. And from the intimate heartbeat of the Catalan singers... so that it reaches the heart of the Californian audience.