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Ludwig van Beethoven himself called the "Missa Solemnis" his most complete work – and yes, the composition still ranks among the most popular works in the occidental art genre. Archbishop Rudolph from Austria, Beethoven’s talented student, close friend and financial supporter, provided an opportunity for the creation of the Missa Solemnis when he was appointed Archbishop of Olmuetz. Spontaneously, Beethoven decided to compose this ceremonial mass for the enthronement. Beethoven was neither religious nor an unbeliever. He concerned himself with writings from ancient Egypt, the philosophy of Kant and claimed to recognise the existence of God in the beauty of nature. He was not known for his ecclesiastical lifestyle which is why the examination of his own notion of God and the related studies of theology, liturgy and church music, which Beethoven considered to be necessary for his composition of the "Missa Solemnis", took him much more time than expected. He worked on this piece for nearly four years. Unfortunately, his plan for the mass to accompany the bishop’s enthronement sadly failed. In 1823, three years after the enthronement, Ludwig van Beethoven handed over the "Missa Solemnis" to the Archbishop of Olmuetz to whom the work was dedicated. "Art has to carry content", says the conductor, "the listener has to understand the story that is told." Zu Guttenberg knows how to interpret Beethoven’s varied musical allegories and images vividly and rich in contrast. Based on the denotation of the liturgy and the images an extraordinarily strong dynamic in music and density emerges. Human humility and the glory of God mingle and build a striking contrast in sound. Knowing the theological references in the score very well, zu Guttenberg manages to put the interpretation and the presentation of this work into the service of an approach, which allows the listener to perceive it in a completely new way. Ludwig van Beethoven signed his work with the motto "From the heart – it shall again touch hearts". Enoch zu Guttenberg has taken this motto and made it the benchmark for his interpretation.