Orchestre de Paris

“In just under 80 exhilarating minutes, Klaus Mäkelä led Beethoven’s Missa solemnis at the Philharmonie with the Orchestre de Paris and Chœur de l’Orchestre de Paris, revealing once again why the work remains the most formidable of choral–orchestral undertakings: spiritually uncompromising, structurally unwieldy, and stubbornly resistant to anything resembling comprehensive control. But rather than dwelling on those challenges, Mäkelä favored momentum and cohesion over awe, unfurling the work less as an act of worship than of will. From the opening of the Kyrie, the choral sound fused into a single expressive body, the text absorbed into the broader musical arc and carried by shape and direction rather than sharply etched declamation.”

Chicago on the Aisle, Laurence Vittes, 5 February 2026


“The emotional center arrived with the Sanctus and Benedictus. Mäkelä allowed the hall to fall completely quiet before beginning the Praeludium, and the transition into the violin solo unfolded with a natural inevitability. (Sarah) Nemtanu shaped her line with restraint and concentration, such that the melody seemed to emerge from within rather than project above.”

Musical America, Laurence Vittes, 9 February 2026


“As for the renowned baritone Gerald Finley, his rich, resonant voice truly blossomed at the beginning of the Agnus Dei with an unusual breadth and dramatic intensity, lending even greater force to the ensuing moments of reflection and especially to the word Pacem, energetically chanted by the choir until the very end, under Mäkelë’s vigorous direction, like a resolute appeal to all humanity. And the message is powerful in these times!”

Forum Opera, Marcel Quillevere, 3 February 2026


“The Finnish conductor displays a visible joy, even jubilation … Above all, he possesses an undeniable ability to lead his ensemble without constraining or subjugating them. This is how he elicits extraordinary performances this evening, first from the Choir, then from all sections of the Orchestre de Paris, and finally from the four soloists.”

* * * * * Bachtrack.com Jean-Pierre Rousseau, 2 February 2026

PROGRAMME:
Beethoven: Missa solemnis
Orchestre de Paris
Choir of Orchestre de Paris
Chen Reiss (soprano), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (contralto), 
Julian Prégardien (tenor), Gerald Finley (bass-baritone)