Matheus Coelho, a Brazilian-born conductor, baritone, and clarinetist based in Toronto, will lead a read-through of Gounod’s “St. Cecilia Mass”. Known for his versatility, Matheus brings expertise in orchestral, choral, operatic, and popular music, honed through performances at prestigious institutions and mentorships with renowned conductor. Matheus is engaged in vocal-orchestral projects across Canada, striving to make his mark as an emerging leader in the North American music scene.
The beautiful St. Cecilia Mass was the first major work of Charles Gounod and the most popular in his lifetime. Fellow composer Camille Saint-Saens was especially impressed, writing “the appearance of the Messe Saint-Cécile caused a kind of shock. This simplicity, this grandeur, this serene light which rose before the musical world like a breaking dawn, troubled people enormously. … at first one was dazzled, then charmed, then conquered.” The vocal parts are performed by three soloists (soprano, tenor and bass) and a choir of four parts, sometimes with divided tenor and bass. The soloists act mostly as an ensemble, without arias. Gounod scored the mass for large orchestra.