Kathryn made her BBC Proms debut in the stunning setting of the Old Royal Naval Chapel in Greenwich on Saturday 6th August 2016. Chief Conductor David Hill presented this ‘Proms at…” premier of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the BBC singers which was presented by Sean Rafferty and broadcast live on Radio 3.
“A closing Agnus Dei from Kathryn Rudge …displays excellent control, lovely timbre and plenty of fervent emotion. Bachtrack, 7th August 2016
“Kathryn Rudge evoked a tenderly plaintive ‘Agnus Dei’.
Classical Source, 6th August 2016
Performers
Elizabeth Watts, soprano
Kathryn Rudge, mezzo-soprano
Peter Auty, tenor
James Platt, bass
Richard Pearce, harmonium
Iain Farrington, piano
BBC Singers
David Hill, conductor
“The last mortal sin of my old age” was how Rossini described his Little Solemn Mass – which, famously, is neither short nor solemn, and so influenced by the music of the opera house that even to call it a Mass seems out of place. Elaborate choruses, fabulously operatic solo writing – by turns dramatic, expressive and humorous – have made this extraordinary piece one of the icons of the 19th-century choral repertoire. In it, Rossini reflected the contrast of his own witty exterior concealing sincere religious belief. Here, joy is tinged with grief and anxiety, amid vocal writing of purity and pungency.”