Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle

About the Event

Immerse yourself in the stunning architecture of Paris's breathtaking Cathédrale Américaine for the ultimate concert set to awake your understanding of classical music.

We are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for performances of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle by the Paris Choral Society. This remarkable composition, with its impressive operatic choruses and dramatic setting, is anything but 'Petite.' Originally composed in France, these performances will have a distinctively French touch as the choir is accompanied by accordion and piano. Performances will take place in the central American cathedral in Paris and will be enhanced by staging to bring out the drama of the Mass.

The Petite Messe Solennelle (Little Solemn Mass) was written by Gioachino Rossini in 1863, probably at the request of Count Alexis Pillet‐Will for his wife Louise, to whom the work is dedicated. Although Rossini had retired from composing operas more than 30 years earlier, he referred to this work as 'petite' with a touch of irony. On the last page of the manuscript he wrote: 'Dear God, here it is finished, this poor little mass. Have I just written sacred music, or rather sacrilegious music? I was born for opera buffa, as you know. Not much technique, a little heart, that's all. Be blessed and grant me paradise.'