Composed in 1803, while Beethoven was also writing the "Eroica" Symphony, Christ on the Mount of Olives (Christus am Ölberge) is the composer's only oratorio, and combines the emotive force of his later Missa Solemnis with the theater of a Bach Passion. With orchestra, chorus and soloists, it tells the story of Jesus' prayer and arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and also reflects the emotional pressure Beethoven was under at the time. This recording by Sir Simon Rattle, with acclaimed singers Elsa Dreisig, Pavol Breslik and David Soar, was made during the London Symphony Orchestra's celebration of Beethoven's 250th anniversary.
