Mass No. 2 in G Major, D 167 (1815)

With this Mass composed by Franz Schubert (b.Vienna1797; d.Vienna1828) in 1815, we experience his gift for lyric beauty and simplicity.  Although he was only 18 years old, this was his second Mass and his 167th musical composition, as cataloged by musicologist Otto Deutsch.  By the time of his death at age 31, Schubert had written at least 998 works, including more than 600 songs.  Franz Schubert was an accomplished singer as well as a gifted composer for chorus, orchestra and piano.  His solo songs are considered standard repertory for voice students at any level.  His melodies are always beautiful and wonderful to sing. 

Much has been written about Schubert's supposed doctrinal unorthodoxy and lack of piety, because in composing his Masses he often left out parts of the text. The explanation given by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler, the Chorale’s founding music director was that when Schubert composed his Masses he used a text from memory and that his memory was simply faulty.  The edition that the Chorale uses was edited by Monsignor Schuler and is liturgically correct, including the omitted texts. Schubert himself wrote in a letter to his father about his faith: “People have wondered at the piety I express in a hymn to the Virgin Mary, which seems to move every soul and to dispose the listener to prayer. I think that is because I never force myself to pray and, except when devotion involuntarily overpowers me, I never compose that kind of hymn or prayer – when I do, then the piety I give voice to is genuine and deeply felt.”  Historical documents indicate that Schubert composed his Mass in G in just five days – between March 2 and March 7, 1815. 

The Mass went unpublished in Schubert’s lifetime and was probably intended for presentation at the church his family attended in the Lichtenthal parish of Vienna.  This popular Mass, though simple, is a real pearl.  There is a measured simplicity in the Credo, creating the impression of great weight, marching forth on a steady baseline and rising slowly from its humble, quiet beginnings to an imposing climax at the Crucifixus. This intensity continues to the Spiritum Sanctum, where the humble, quiet, steady baseline is resumed to the end of the movement.  The Mass in G is scored for soprano, tenor and bass soloists, mixed chorus, strings, organ, trumpets, and timpani. Later in November of 1815, Schubert began his Mass No. 3 in B-flat, D 324 (1815).                                                                         

        (Adapted from an undated note by Chorale founder Monsignor Richard J. Schuler and from a note by Blair Johnston, “All Music Guide to Classical Music”, 2005)

Mass No. 11 in D Minor, “Missa in Angustiis” ('Mass in Time of Anguish), “Nelsonmesse”, H. XXII:11 (1798). 

This Mass, composed by Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau,1732; d.Vienna,1809) in 1798, has several names; Mass III (third of the six “Esterhazy” Masses); Imperial Nelson Mass; Missa in Angustiis (Mass in Time of Anguish); and most commonly, the Nelsonmesse (Nelson Mass).  Haydn called it by its Latin title, Missa in Angustiis – a possible dual reference to the dire state of affairs between the Emperor of the French and the Emperor of the Romans, as well as Haydn’s personal difficulty in working as Kapellmeister for his patron at the time, Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy (r.1794-1833). The prince had dismissed the Feldharmonie, or wind band octet, shortly before Haydn composed this Mass for the annual name day celebration (September 12 – Most Holy Name of Mary) for Nikolaus’ wife, Princess Maria Hermenegild (1768–1845). So, the initial presentations of the Mass did not utilize woodwinds. The Nelson nickname may have originated when news reached Vienna of British naval Vice-Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson’s defeat of the French fleet in the Bay of Aboukir (Battle of the Nile) in August 1798.  The nickname was fueled by the martial-sounding trumpets, soprano “fireworks” and jubilant finale – a style Haydn had cultivated while in residence in London in the early half of the decade, as evidenced by his “London” symphonies (nos. 93-104).  While in England, Haydn enjoyed great success, both professionally and financially. Lord Nelson, with his mistress soprano Lady Emma Hamilton and her husband ambassador Sir William Hamilton, attended the Nelson Mass conducted by Haydn himself when they visited Prince Nikolaus at the Eszterháza in Eisenstadt, during the summer of 1800.  Lord Nelson and Sir William, having both been “recalled” from their respective posts in Italy, were taking their return trip to England at a “leisurely” pace by land, rather than by sea. By the time of the admiral’s death, five years later during the Battle of Trafalgar, the nickname Nelsonmesse had taken hold permanently. The Nelsonmesse is the third of the last six Haydn Masses and the only one written in a minor key for the opening movement. The orchestration the Chorale & Orchestra uses calls for strings, three trumpets, woodwinds, timpani and organ. The Kyrie brings the soprano soloist to the upper portion of her range with a flourish of 16th notes. This exciting beginning sets the stage for the rest of the drama that unfolds in later movements. The Gloria and Credo both end with complex contrapuntal fugues, similar to those found in renaissance polyphony. The celebratory Gloria evokes the figure of Handel, whose music Haydn had become acquainted with while in London.  A lovely and peaceful Qui tollis peccata mundi is at the heart of the Gloria, in which the bass soloist is supported by the chorus and a gentle decoration from the organ.  The Quoniam tu solus sanctus is especially beautiful, with the bass and soprano soloists echoing the final Amen. The Credo begins with the sopranos and tenors of the Chorale singing in unison, and is later answered by the altos and basses for a beautiful duet, which continues until the Et incarnatus est.  The Nelson Mass ends with a joyful and memorable Dona nobis pacem.  Listen for the calming influence of this movement after the dramatic moments earlier in this Mass. The Nelson Mass is the most well-known of Haydn’s last Masses and the most frequently presented.  The brilliance of the choral and solo work is reason enough for the Nelsonmesse’s popularity, and it is less difficult to present than either the Schöpfungsmesse or the Harmoniemesse which followed it in 1801 and 1802, respectively.  All of Haydn's last six Masses are in the repertory of the Chorale & Orchestra, two of which will be presented this season - the Theresienmesse on January 13, 2019 and the Heiligmesse on June 9, 2019.  Coming from the years of the oratorios and the last symphonies, the Nelsonmesse climaxes the final years of Haydn’s 50 year musical life.

Mass No.3 in B-flat Major, D 324 (1815).

Franz Peter Schubert (b.Vienna1797; d.Vienna1828) is the most Viennese of all the classical composers of church music. He composed six Masses: F, G, B-flat, C, A-flat and E-flat. No nicknames were given them; perhaps the Austrians had used up all their nicknames on Haydn’s Masses. Schubert’s church music compositions are small in number compared to his output of songs, symphonies, keyboard, and operatic music. He was just 18 when, in November of 1815, he began this Mass in B-flat. Earlier that year he had composed the popular Mass in G (Mass No. 2, D 167), simple, but a real pearl. In these early works, his use of melodious themes, lyric in quality, reminds one of the Austrian folksongs with which he was familiar. Schubert’s melodies are wonderful to sing. His choral works and solo songs bring great joy to performers of the vocal art. Schubert’s treatment of the liturgical texts has come in for some criticism. He has omitted some passages from the Gloria and Credo, causing purists to censor his music and others to attempt to edit in the missing phrases. Still others try to find deep reasons for his skipping words, which can best be explained by the fact that the very prolific Schubert was regularly quoting the works from memory, without direct access to written liturgical texts. Indeed, between his Mass in G, composed in March of 1815, and his Mass in C (Mass No. 4, D 452), composed in July of 1816, young Schubert composed 285 musical pieces, according to the catalogue system established by musicologist Otto Deutsch. Because Schubert Masses at Saint Agnes are sung in a liturgical setting, the Chorale has consciously decided to sing edited versions of these Masses that include the liturgically correct complete text. Despite the controversy surrounding his Mass texts, Franz Schubert was a serious Viennese Catholic at the turn of the 19th century, when romanticism was just beginning. His music (plus Beethoven’s and a few others) provided the link between the classicism of the 18th century and the romanticism of the 19th century.

(Adapted from an unpublished and undated note by Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)

Antonín Dvořák, Mass in D
Mass in D Major, Op.86, B.175 (1892).

Antonín Dvořák (b.Nelahozeves1841; d.Prague1904) composed this famous Mass in D in 1887, for the blessing of the Czech philanthropist Josef Hlavka’s private chapel. It was originally for soloists, chorus and organ, but in 1892 Dvořák re-scored the organ part for orchestra.   Dvořák was a practicing Catholic and composed a great deal of sacred music.  This Mass is one of his finest.  Inspired by medieval Czech hymns and melodies, the Mass in D was also influenced by Schubert and Beethoven.  The haunting melodies of this great work will stay with you long after Mass has ended. Dvořák’s music became extremely popular in the United States.  From 1892 to 1895, Dvořák was the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. In the winter and spring of 1893 Dvořák composed his famous Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, “From the New World” Op. 95, B.178 (1893), which had its New York Philharmonic Orchestra Carnegie Hall world premier in December of the same year.  In the meantime Dvořák spent the summer of 1893 in Spillville, Iowa, a small Czech community located just south of Decorah in northeastern Iowa. While there Dvořák composed two of his most famous chamber works, the String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, “American” Op. 96, B.179 (1893) and the String Quintet No. 3 in E-Flat Major, “American” Op. 97, B.180 (1983).  Also composed during that summer was his Sonatina for Violin & Piano in G Major, “Indian Lament” Op. 100, B.183 (1893).  The second or larghetto movement of the sonatina contains a melody that Dvořák captured on the starched cuff of his shirt during a visit that summer to Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis. This “on-the-cuff” Minnehaha melody was often performed, without the composer’s permission as a standalone work, which violinist Fritz Kreisler later described as an “Indian lullaby”. Jotting down melodies on his cuff was a common way for Dvořák to preserve his ideas while away from his studio, to the point where his laundress in Spillville frequently expressed dismay as to the amount of time and effort she spent on getting the cuffs clean!  Located above The Bily (bee-lee) Clocks Museum in Spillville is the Dvořák Exhibit, which includes the studio and living quarters, occupied by Dvořák and his family while they were in Spillville. Also located in Spillville is the Saint Wenceslaus Church, “the oldest surviving Czech Roman Catholic Church west of the Mississippi.” The road from Preston, Minnesota south through the Czech town of Protivin, Iowa, then east to Spillville, and on to Calmar is officially designated as the "Dvořák Highway.”

Mass No. 19 in D Minor “Requiem”, K 626 (1791)

W. A. Mozart (b.Salzburg,1756; d.Vienna,1791) wrote only two Masses on commission; the Waisenhaus Mass, when he was thirteen years old, and the Requiem, the last composition of his life. Count Franz Walsegg zu Stuppach, an aristocrat living in Stuppach Castle near Gloggnitz in the Neunkirchen district of Lower Austria, commissioned the Mass for his deceased wife.  Pressed by his obligations to complete two operas, Die Zauberflote, K 620 (1791) and La Clemenza di Tito, K 621 (1791), as well as his Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K 622 (1791), Mozart never finished the Mass beyond the Offertory.  The final three sections were provided by Franz Xaver Süssmayr, a student of the Habsburg Imperial Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri.  Süssmayr assisted Mozart as a copyist on the aforementioned operas, and following Mozart’s death utilized materials from sketches left by Mozart and reworked parts from earlier movements. Musicologist Karl Geiringer opines that Mozart’s Spatzenmesse was one of the models Süssmayr used when completing Mozart's Requiem.  Following the example of Joseph Haydn (as in the Nikolaimesse, which is also in the Chorale & Orchestra’s repertory), Mozart in the Sparrow Mass recapitulates the music of the Kyrie in the Dona nobis pacem, a method that Süssmayr used in his completion of Mozart's Requiem.  The Mozart Requiem also contains a quotation from the Sparrow Mass in its first movement, the Introit - Requiem aeternam. The Requiem is scored for 2 basset horns, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto, tenor & bass), 2 timpani, violins, viola, and basso continuo (cello, double bass, and organ). The vocal forces include soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass soloists and an SATB mixed Chorus.  The Süssmayr completion of the Requiem is divided into fourteen movements. The Mass is a liturgical work, fitting for use in worship, yet musically on a plane with the much larger settings of the Requiem texts by Verdi and Berlioz. The fact that Mozart was close to death when he set the texts of his “death mass” to music has been the subject of numerous legends fabricated by “romanticists”.  But no stories are needed for such genius.  Truly, Mozart came knocking on the gates of heaven with a plea for entrance accompanied by the music of his Requiem - a cry of such beauty and depth that God (and man) can never cease to find in it a reflection and echo of the infinite mercy of God himself. (53:00)

(Adapted from an unpublished and undated note by Msgr. Richard J. Schuler)

Composer Charles François Gounod (b.Paris1818; d.Saint-Cloud1893) was a practicing Catholic and as a youth contemplated becoming a priest. He eventually decided he was unsuited for the priesthood but expressed his devotion in numerous works of sacred music. After winning the Grand Prix de Rome in 1839, Gounod spent much of his time at the Sistine Chapel listening to and studying the works of sixteenth century masters. During the summer of 1855, while at work on the St. Cecilia Mass, he wrote to his mother, “During the afternoons I usually go to the woods and read selections of my beloved Saint Augustine.  I have translated them; that is my time of reflection. Following that, I contemplate my Mass.” After the premier of the Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile, in the Church of St. Eustache in Paris on Saint Cecilia's Day, November 22, 1855, a French publication’s reviewer noted, “He has the sense of liturgical things; and I shall say more, he is convinced; he believes!” This rendition established Gounod's fame as a noteworthy composer. Gounod contemporary, composer Camille Saint-Saens (b.Paris1835; d.Algiers1921) commented after the premiere: "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.”  Saint-Saens ranked the Mass among the best works by Gounod:  "In the faint distant future when inexorable time has completed its work and the operas of Gounod are forever in repose in the dusty sanctuary of libraries, the Messe de Sainte Cécile, the Rédemption, and the oratorio Mors et Vita will still retain life.”  

The original version of the composition was somewhat troubling not only because of its grandeur, but also because of unauthorized additions to the text of the Mass made by the composer. In the original Gloria the final miserere nobis (have mercy on us) is intensified by an added Domine Jesu (Lord Jesus). The original Credo is followed by a threefold supplication, repeating the same text, Domine, salvum fac Imperatorem nostrum Napoleonem, et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te (Lord, save our Emperor Napoleon and hear us when we call upon you), sung the first time as the Prière de l'Eglise (Prayer of the Church) by the choir a cappella after a short instrumental introduction, the second time as the Prière de l'Armée (Prayer of the Army) by the men's voices and brass, and the third time as the Prière de la Nation (Prayer of the Nation) by the choir with orchestra. The original Mass also has an added instrumental Offertorium, between the Domine salvum and the Sanctus. In the original Agnus Dei, the soloists sing between the three invocations the text Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea (Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say a word and I shall be healed), sung first by the tenor and again by the soprano. The movement ends with an added Amen. The changes have been criticized as being not liturgically correct and, except for the added Domine Jesu in the Gloria and the instrumental Offertorium; have been omitted in the score the Chorale & Orchestra uses.

The Messe Solennelle was dedicated by the composer to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of church musicians, who like Saint Agnes, was martyred for her faith in Rome and is memorialized in both the Roman Canon (Para. 96) and the Roman Martyrology (September 16 and November 22). Gounod also composed this Mass in memory of his music teacher and father-in-law, Pierre Joseph Zimmerman, who died in 1853. Gounod’s ability to compose dramatic music for the opera is also evident in this great Mass. The Gloria and Credo are famous for their drama, power and memorable melodies. The Sanctus with the enormous and beautiful tenor solo reaches a full musical climax at “Hosanna in excelsis” near the end of the Benedictus.

The Saint Cecelia Mass is a traditional favorite of the Chorale & Orchestra. It is presented annually on the Patronal Feast of Saint Agnes, January 21.

(Adapted from a note by Erik Eriksson in the “All Music Guide to Classical Music”, published in 2005 by Back-beat Books)

Mass in C Major, Op 86 (1807)

Ludwig van Beethoven (b.Bonn1770; d.Vienna1827) composed his great masterpiece, the Mass in C, in 1807 on a commission from Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy (r.1794-1833).  The commission was intended to revive a tradition established by Joseph Haydn to compose one Mass per year to celebrate the name day, September 12, the Most Holy Name of Mary, of the Prince's wife, Princess Maria Hermengild Esterházy.  With the failure of Haydn’s health in 1802 the tradition ceased.  Beethoven was fully aware of the tradition that Haydn had established and it influenced him strongly in composing his own Mass.  Beethoven's Mass in C premiered on September 13, 1807 in Eisenstadt, the ancestral seat of the Esterházys, which is about 40 km south of Vienna.  While Beethoven seems to have been quite pleased with the work, his first effort in the genre, Prince Nikolaus was not pleased – describing it as “unbearably ridiculous and detestable”. Beethoven was undeterred however, and the Mass received a more positive response resulting in its publication after an 1812 presentation in the city of Troppau, which at that time was part of Austrian Silesia and is now Opava in the Czech Republic, some 180 km northeast of Vienna.  Of note in this Mass are the unaccompanied bass voices in the opening of the Kyrie, the unison or octave singing in the profound passages of the Gloria and Credo, the use of expanded highly developed contrapuntal codas (such as those used in Beethoven’s later symphonies) at the end of those movements, and a passage in the Benedictus scored for voices and tympani only.  In the Agnus Dei Beethoven allows the “anguish” of the C minor key in the Miserere nobis to give way to the “relief” of the C major key in the Dona nobis pacem – a technique that he used later in his Symphony No. 5 in C Minor “Fate”, Op 67 (1808).  The Mass in C was composed while Beethoven was beginning to suffer major hearing loss that would eventually lead to total deafness in the decade to follow.  Beethoven battled against physical adversity for much of his adult life and it is a measure of his genius that his life's work transcended this so magnificently.  Nearly 200 years after his death, he is still one of the pre-eminent composers in the classical genre and his Mass in C amply illustrates that genius. The Chorale particularly enjoys this work because of the demands placed on every individual - choir, soloists, orchestra, and conductor.  (44:00)

(Adapted from a note by John Palmer in the “All Music Guide to Classical Music”, published in 2005 by Backbeat Books)

Mass No. 17 in C Major “Missa Solemnis”, K 337 (1780)

While seldom heard in concert halls and rarely recorded, this Mass composed in 1780 by W.A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) nonetheless offers lovely, joyful music appropriate for liturgical use. Although titled, Missa Solemnis, its succinctness would qualify it as a missa brevis. The Credo, which lasts less than six minutes, is the second Credo Mozart composed for this Mass. He completed about two-thirds of the first Credo, up to non erit finis, and then put the piece aside. Some scholars speculate that Mozart feared the first Credo was too theatrical for liturgical use, others opine that he had forgotten to set the lyrics sub Pontio Pilato to music in the first draft. In any case, Mozart later that same year recycled the first Credo as a chaconne, a variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, in his opera, Idomeneo. The Missa Solemnis is scored for SATB soloists, SATB choir, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, strings (without violas) and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration. The Sanctus recalls features of the Kyrie, and has a violin figure that Mozart also recycled in Idomeneo. The Benedictus is peculiar for Mozart's Mass settings in that it is an austere fugue in an archaic style. The Agnus Dei, the most recorded movement of the Missa Solemnis, foreshadows Countess Almaviva’s despairing cavatina, Porgi amor (Act 2, No.11), in Le nozze di Figaro, K 492 (1786). This motif, as used by Mozart in the Mass in C and later in Figaro, is itself a reprise of a theme initially composed as a slow and lyrical sonata without development in the second movement, Andante ma adagio, of his Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, K 191 (1774). The Missa Solemnis was Mozart's last complete Mass. It was composed for the cathedral where his father Leopold served as Deputy Kapellmeister, and where the younger Mozart himself served as the court organist to Fürsterzbischof Hieronymous Graf Colloredo von Salzburg (r.1771-1803). This period in Mozart’s musical life also saw the composition of his Mass No. 16 in C Major “Krönung” (Coronation), K 317 (1779) and his two orchestrated vespers – Vesperae solennes de Dominica, K 321 (1779) and Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K 339 (1780). Following his dismissal from the employment of the Prince-Archbishop, the younger Mozart brushed the dust of Salzburg off his boots and headed to Vienna. There he embarked on a career of secular orchestral and operatic composition, culminating six years later with Figaro, for which the Imperial Italian Opera paid Mozart 450 florins - three times his annual salary as court organist in Salzburg! (22:59)
(Adapted from a note by Brian Robbins in the “All Music Guide to Classical Music”, published in 2005 by Backbeat Books.)

Mass No. 10 in C Major “Missa in Tempore Belli” (Mass in Time of War), “Paukenmesse” (Kettledrum Mass) (H.XXII:9) (1796)

Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (r.1780-1790), often called “Joseph the Sacristan”, made so many rules restricting liturgical music that Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau,1732;d.Vienna,1809) discontinued composing Mass settings in 1782, after his composition of the Mariazellermesse (Mass No. 8 in C Major “'Missa Cellensis” (H.XXII:8).  As a result there is a gap of twelve years, between the composition of the Mariazellermesse and the Paukenmesse. Haydn composed the Paukenmesse at Eisenstadt, while Kapellmeister to Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy (r.1794–1833), to commemorate the name day (September 12, the Most Holy Name of Mary) of Princess Marie Hermengild, the wife of Nikolaus II. Because it was composed at the time of Austria’s general mobilization for war against the French Empire, the powerful Paukenmesse was subtitled by Haydn as the Missa in Tempore Belli (Mass in Time of War). During the French Army’s First Italian Campaign the Holy Roman Empire feared invasion. In August of 1796 Holy Roman Emperor Franz II (r.1792-1806) proclaimed a general mobilization and forbade any discussion of peace until the French were driven back to their “customary borders.” Haydn was moved to create his masterpiece to assist in this mobilization, as the “sounds of war” were heard approaching the Austrian border. The tympani rolls and trumpet fanfares of the Agnus Dei have a military feel, in contrast with the demands for peace sung by the choir in the Dona nobis pacem. Of particular beauty and fame is the Qui tollis, the bass solo with solo cello obbligato in the Gloria; the Benedictus, with its midpoint mode shift from minor to major tone; and the prominent tympani (pauken) drum roll in the Agnus Dei, from which the Austrian nickname Paukenmesse (“Tympani” or “Kettledrum” Mass) has its origins. In the key of C major, the orchestration calls for the usual strings, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two trumpets, and of course the pauken! The Paukenmesse was the first of the large Haydn works that the Chorale studied. During the Chorale’s European trip in 1974, when it participated in the Sixth International Church Music Congress in Salzburg organized by the Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae (CIMS), the Chorale sang this Mass in the Alte Peterskirche (Old Saint Peter’s Church) in central Munich on the Solemnity of the Assumption. This event was the founding director Monsignor Richard J. Schuler’s inspiration for the Chorale’s residency at Saint Agnes    (46:52)

The Kleine Orgelsolomesse is Haydn’s last missa brevis. All these short masses share a modest orchestra.

The mass was written for the order of the Barmherzige Brüder, also called Brothers of Mercy, in Eisenstadt, Hungarian Kingdom (now Austria), whose founder and patron saint was St. John of God. Haydn lived in Eisenstadt, working for the court of Nikolaus II, Prince Esterházy. The composition was written in 1774. Because of an extensive Organ solo in the Benedictus, it is known as the Kleine Orgelmesse (Little Organ Mass), referring to the Große Orgelsolomesse (Great Organ Mass), a colloquial name for the Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, Haydn's fourth mass in E-flat major. An organ solo in the Benedictus was common practice at the time.

Haydn played the organ in the first performance in the hospital chapel of the Brethren in Eisenstadt. "Kleine" (little) may refer to the composition as well as to the organ, because the instrument there was a positive with six stops without pedal.

(Adapted from Wikipedia.) 

W.A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) composed the Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis (K. 167) at age 17. He dated it June 1773 and possibly intended it for Trinity Sunday, which occurred on June 6 of that year. However, British musicologist, Stanley Sadie (1930-2005), as well American musicologist Neal Zaslaw (1939- ), both suggested that Mozart composed this Mass for Salzburg’s beautiful Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church) – hence its nickname, Trinitatis Mass. They doubt that the Mass was written for the city’s cathedral, because it did not meet the strict time constraints mandated by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Hieronymous Graf Colloredo, for his cathedral church. However, the Trinitatis Mass was composed by Mozart as a fully orchestrated, wholly choral Mass, without vocal solo arias, thereby making it neither a missa brevis nor a missa solemnis, but arguably a missa longa. A more festive orchestrated Mass for minor solemnities, such as Trinity Sunday. It was from this vantage point that German-American musicologist Alfred Einstein (1880-1952) opined that Mozart composed the Mass without solo arias, just so that the Mass could meet the requirements of the Prince-Archbishop. In any case, listen for the trumpets, the numerous “sinfonías” used as preludes and interludes within movements, and the showy contrapuntal fugues in the final sections of the Gloria (Cum Sancto Spiritu) and the Credo (Et vitam venturi).

Mass No. 10 in C Major “Missa in Tempore Belli” (Mass in Time of War), “Paukenmesse” (Kettledrum Mass) (H.XXII:9) (1796)

Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (r.1780-1790), often called “Joseph the Sacristan”, made so many rules restricting liturgical music that Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau,1732;d.Vienna,1809) discontinued composing Mass settings in 1782, after his composition of the Mariazellermesse (Mass No. 8 in C Major “'Missa Cellensis” (H.XXII:8).  As a result there is a gap of twelve years, between the composition of the Mariazellermesse and the Paukenmesse. Haydn composed the Paukenmesse at Eisenstadt, while Kapellmeister to Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy (r.1794–1833), to commemorate the name day (September 12, the Most Holy Name of Mary) of Princess Marie Hermengild, the wife of Nikolaus II. Because it was composed at the time of Austria’s general mobilization for war against the French Empire, the powerful Paukenmesse was subtitled by Haydn as the Missa in Tempore Belli (Mass in Time of War). During the French Army’s First Italian Campaign the Holy Roman Empire feared invasion. In August of 1796 Holy Roman Emperor Franz II (r.1792-1806) proclaimed a general mobilization and forbade any discussion of peace until the French were driven back to their “customary borders.” Haydn was moved to create his masterpiece to assist in this mobilization, as the “sounds of war” were heard approaching the Austrian border. The tympani rolls and trumpet fanfares of the Agnus Dei have a military feel, in contrast with the demands for peace sung by the choir in the Dona nobis pacem. Of particular beauty and fame is the Qui tollis, the bass solo with solo cello obbligato in the Gloria; the Benedictus, with its midpoint mode shift from minor to major tone; and the prominent tympani (pauken) drum roll in the Agnus Dei, from which the Austrian nickname Paukenmesse (“Tympani” or “Kettledrum” Mass) has its origins. In the key of C major, the orchestration calls for the usual strings, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two trumpets, and of course the pauken! The Paukenmesse was the first of the large Haydn works that the Chorale studied. During the Chorale’s European trip in 1974, when it participated in the Sixth International Church Music Congress in Salzburg organized by the Consociatio Internationalis Musicae Sacrae (CIMS), the Chorale sang this Mass in the Alte Peterskirche (Old Saint Peter’s Church) in central Munich on the Solemnity of the Assumption. This event was the founding director Monsignor Richard J. Schuler’s inspiration for the Chorale’s residency at Saint Agnes    (46:52)

Mass No. 17 in C Major “Missa Solemnis”, K 337 (1780)

While seldom heard in concert halls and rarely recorded, this Mass composed in 1780 by W.A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) nonetheless offers lovely, joyful music appropriate for liturgical use. Although titled, Missa Solemnis, its succinctness would qualify it as a missa brevis. The Credo, which lasts less than six minutes, is the second Credo Mozart composed for this Mass. He completed about two-thirds of the first Credo, up to non erit finis, and then put the piece aside. Some scholars speculate that Mozart feared the first Credo was too theatrical for liturgical use, others opine that he had forgotten to set the lyrics sub Pontio Pilato to music in the first draft. In any case, Mozart later that same year recycled the first Credo as a chaconne, a variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, in his opera, Idomeneo. The Missa Solemnis is scored for SATB soloists, SATB choir, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, strings (without violas) and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration. The Sanctus recalls features of the Kyrie, and has a violin figure that Mozart also recycled in Idomeneo. The Benedictus is peculiar for Mozart's Mass settings in that it is an austere fugue in an archaic style. The Agnus Dei, the most recorded movement of the Missa Solemnis, foreshadows Countess Almaviva’s despairing cavatina, Porgi amor (Act 2, No.11), in Le nozze di Figaro, K 492 (1786). This motif, as used by Mozart in the Mass in C and later in Figaro, is itself a reprise of a theme initially composed as a slow and lyrical sonata without development in the second movement, Andante ma adagio, of his Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, K 191 (1774). The Missa Solemnis was Mozart's last complete Mass. It was composed for the cathedral where his father Leopold served as Deputy Kapellmeister, and where the younger Mozart himself served as the court organist to Fürsterzbischof Hieronymous Graf Colloredo von Salzburg (r.1771-1803). This period in Mozart’s musical life also saw the composition of his Mass No. 16 in C Major “Krönung” (Coronation), K 317 (1779) and his two orchestrated vespers – Vesperae solennes de Dominica, K 321 (1779) and Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K 339 (1780). Following his dismissal from the employment of the Prince-Archbishop, the younger Mozart brushed the dust of Salzburg off his boots and headed to Vienna. There he embarked on a career of secular orchestral and operatic composition, culminating six years later with Figaro, for which the Imperial Italian Opera paid Mozart 450 florins - three times his annual salary as court organist in Salzburg! (22:59)
(Adapted from a note by Brian Robbins in the “All Music Guide to Classical Music”, published in 2005 by Backbeat Books.)

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) did not seem to have any special occasion in mind when he composed the Missa Longa, K 262 in 1776. The Mass itself calls for elaborate instrumental interludes throughout, but does not include solo arias, so the Missa Longa cannot be classified as a missa solemnis (solemn Mass). It seems that missa longa (long Mass), a name used by Leopold Mozart for this particular Mass composed by his son, is a “hybrid” format between the missa brevis (short Mass) and the missa solemnis. Whereas a missa brevis is often embellished with solo arias, it routinely uses “telescoping” (simultaneous singing by different voices) of liturgical text, to reduce the duration of the Mass enough to meet certain time restrictions set by the “liturgists”. In the case of the missa longa in general, and the Mozart Missa Longa in particular, there is a tradeoff to keep the Mass of a shorter duration, yet liturgically correct - no telescoping of text in return for no extended composing for solo parts. The missa longa then is the middle ground in the tug-o-war between the liturgists and the musicians over how best to render Divine praise – through the use of heavenly words or of heavenly music.

The Mozart Missa Longa is scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and base (SATB) soloists, SATB choir, violin I and II, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 clarini (high trumpets), 3 trombones colla parte, timpani and basso continuo. The elaborate fugues at the end of the Gloria and Credo are masterful compositions that present special challenges for the Chorale. Look for the alternating soloists in the Dona nobis pacem at the end of the Agnus Dei. Mozart continued to compose sacred music during this period of his life, but he found himself transitioning towards composing more secular instrumental music as well as opera. In the summer of 1777, Mozart asked to be released from his employment with the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula Graf Colloredo von Wallsee und Melz (r. 1771-1803). Prince-Archbishop Colloredo responded by dismissing both Mozart and his father.

The Kleine Orgelsolomesse is Haydn’s last missa brevis. All these short masses share a modest orchestra.

The mass was written for the order of the Barmherzige Brüder, also called Brothers of Mercy, in Eisenstadt, Hungarian Kingdom (now Austria), whose founder and patron saint was St. John of God. Haydn lived in Eisenstadt, working for the court of Nikolaus II, Prince Esterházy. The composition was written in 1774. Because of an extensive Organ solo in the Benedictus, it is known as the Kleine Orgelmesse (Little Organ Mass), referring to the Große Orgelsolomesse (Great Organ Mass), a colloquial name for the Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, Haydn's fourth mass in E-flat major. An organ solo in the Benedictus was common practice at the time.

Haydn played the organ in the first performance in the hospital chapel of the Brethren in Eisenstadt. "Kleine" (little) may refer to the composition as well as to the organ, because the instrument there was a positive with six stops without pedal.

(Adapted from Wikipedia.) 

The Kleine Orgelsolomesse is Haydn’s last missa brevis. All these short masses share a modest orchestra.

The mass was written for the order of the Barmherzige Brüder, also called Brothers of Mercy, in Eisenstadt, Hungarian Kingdom (now Austria), whose founder and patron saint was St. John of God. Haydn lived in Eisenstadt, working for the court of Nikolaus II, Prince Esterházy. The composition was written in 1774. Because of an extensive Organ solo in the Benedictus, it is known as the Kleine Orgelmesse (Little Organ Mass), referring to the Große Orgelsolomesse (Great Organ Mass), a colloquial name for the Missa in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, Haydn's fourth mass in E-flat major. An organ solo in the Benedictus was common practice at the time.

Haydn played the organ in the first performance in the hospital chapel of the Brethren in Eisenstadt. "Kleine" (little) may refer to the composition as well as to the organ, because the instrument there was a positive with six stops without pedal.

(Adapted from Wikipedia.) 

W.A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) composed the Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis (K. 167) at age 17. He dated it June 1773 and possibly intended it for Trinity Sunday, which occurred on June 6 of that year. However, British musicologist, Stanley Sadie (1930-2005), as well American musicologist Neal Zaslaw (1939- ), both suggested that Mozart composed this Mass for Salzburg’s beautiful Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church) – hence its nickname, Trinitatis Mass. They doubt that the Mass was written for the city’s cathedral, because it did not meet the strict time constraints mandated by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Hieronymous Graf Colloredo, for his cathedral church. However, the Trinitatis Mass was composed by Mozart as a fully orchestrated, wholly choral Mass, without vocal solo arias, thereby making it neither a missa brevis nor a missa solemnis, but arguably a missa longa. A more festive orchestrated Mass for minor solemnities, such as Trinity Sunday. It was from this vantage point that German-American musicologist Alfred Einstein (1880-1952) opined that Mozart composed the Mass without solo arias, just so that the Mass could meet the requirements of the Prince-Archbishop. In any case, listen for the trumpets, the numerous “sinfonías” used as preludes and interludes within movements, and the showy contrapuntal fugues in the final sections of the Gloria (Cum Sancto Spiritu) and the Credo (Et vitam venturi).

After 30 years as assistant Kapellmeister and then Kapellmeister at the Esterházy Palace, Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau,1732; d.Vienna,1809) became a musical “free agent” at age 58. His patron, Prince Nikolaus I Esterházy “The Magnificent” (r.1762-1790), died and Nikolaus’ son and successor, Prince Anton Esterházy (r.1790–1794), disbanded the palace orchestra to assist in the funding of an army for the defense of the Holy Roman Empire from the emerging French Empire. Haydn, who now had no duties, opted for an “early out” and began drawing a healthy Kapellmeister “pension”, which allowed him to move to Vienna, tutor a young pupil named Ludwig van Beethoven, make two extended “tours” to England, and become wealthy with his compositions and personal appearances. In 1796 he was invited back to the Esterhazy’s service, and to a reconstituted Esterházy palace orchestra, under Anton’s successor Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy (r.1794-1833). Over the next six years Haydn composed the Heiligmesse and five other Masses to commemorate the name day (September 12, the Most Holy Name of Mary) of Princess Marie Hermengild, the wife of Nikolaus II. The six Masses in order of their composition are the Heiligmesse (1796); the Paukenmesse (1797); the Nelsonmesse (1798); the Theresienmesse (1799); the Schöpfungsmesse (1801) and the Harmoniemesse (1802). They are all in the repertory of the Chorale. These late Masses coincide with the compositions of Haydn’s late symphonies. The Heiligmesse also marks the beginning of Haydn’s new sacred compositions after a pause of some fourteen years. A hiatus caused by the severe restrictions imposed on liturgical music by the “enlightened” Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (r.1765-1790), who was known by some as “Joseph the Sacristan”.

Haydn named the Heiligmesse in honor of Blessed Bernard of Offida, an Italian Capuchin who was beatified by Pope Pius VI in 1795. The Austrians quickly found a nickname for the Mass, calling it the Heiligmesse, which was derived from the melody of a traditional German congregational hymn, Heilig, Heilig, Heilig (Holy, Holy, Holy), sung by the tenors and altos in the Sanctus. There is very little solo or quartet work in this Mass, but the choral composition is masterful, especially the intricate fugue in the Quoniam tu solus sanctus at the end of the Gloria and the subtle Et incarnatus est in the middle of the Credo. The orchestration calls for a full complement of strings, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, timpani, and organ. The Heiligmesse is a favorite among Chorale members and is a special way to celebrate Pentecost.

(Adapted from an undated and unpublished note by Monsignor Richard J. Schuler)

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) did not seem to have any special occasion in mind when he composed the Missa Longa, K 262 in 1776. The Mass itself calls for elaborate instrumental interludes throughout, but does not include solo arias, so the Missa Longa cannot be classified as a missa solemnis (solemn Mass). It seems that missa longa (long Mass), a name used by Leopold Mozart for this particular Mass composed by his son, is a “hybrid” format between the missa brevis (short Mass) and the missa solemnis. Whereas a missa brevis is often embellished with solo arias, it routinely uses “telescoping” (simultaneous singing by different voices) of liturgical text, to reduce the duration of the Mass enough to meet certain time restrictions set by the “liturgists”. In the case of the missa longa in general, and the Mozart Missa Longa in particular, there is a tradeoff to keep the Mass of a shorter duration, yet liturgically correct - no telescoping of text in return for no extended composing for solo parts. The missa longa then is the middle ground in the tug-o-war between the liturgists and the musicians over how best to render Divine praise – through the use of heavenly words or of heavenly music.

The Mozart Missa Longa is scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and base (SATB) soloists, SATB choir, violin I and II, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 clarini (high trumpets), 3 trombones colla parte, timpani and basso continuo. The elaborate fugues at the end of the Gloria and Credo are masterful compositions that present special challenges for the Chorale. Look for the alternating soloists in the Dona nobis pacem at the end of the Agnus Dei. Mozart continued to compose sacred music during this period of his life, but he found himself transitioning towards composing more secular instrumental music as well as opera. In the summer of 1777, Mozart asked to be released from his employment with the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula Graf Colloredo von Wallsee und Melz (r. 1771-1803). Prince-Archbishop Colloredo responded by dismissing both Mozart and his father.

The Mass No. 13 in B-flat major, Hob. XXII/13, was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1801.[1] It is known as the Schöpfungsmesse or Creation Mass because of the words "Qui tollis peccata mundi" in the Gloria, Haydn recycled music from the Adam and Eve's final duet in The Creation,[2] a fact which scandalized Empress Maria Theresa so much that she ordered Haydn to recompose that passage for her own copy of the work.[3] Additionally, the oft appearing motif in measure 51 of the "Gloria" from Haydn's "Schöpfungsmesse" is identical to the solo Soprano/Tenor motif in measure 13 of "Der Herr ist Groß" from Haydn's "Die Schöpfung.”

Adapted from Wikipedia.

Composer Charles François Gounod (b.Paris1818; d.Saint-Cloud1893) was a practicing Catholic and as a youth contemplated becoming a priest. He eventually decided he was unsuited for the priesthood but expressed his devotion in numerous works of sacred music. After winning the Grand Prix de Rome in 1839, Gounod spent much of his time at the Sistine Chapel listening to and studying the works of sixteenth century masters. During the summer of 1855, while at work on the St. Cecilia Mass, he wrote to his mother, “During the afternoons I usually go to the woods and read selections of my beloved Saint Augustine.  I have translated them; that is my time of reflection. Following that, I contemplate my Mass.” After the premier of the Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile, in the Church of St. Eustache in Paris on Saint Cecilia's Day, November 22, 1855, a French publication’s reviewer noted, “He has the sense of liturgical things; and I shall say more, he is convinced; he believes!” This rendition established Gounod's fame as a noteworthy composer. Gounod contemporary, composer Camille Saint-Saens (b.Paris1835; d.Algiers1921) commented after the premiere: "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.”  Saint-Saens ranked the Mass among the best works by Gounod:  "In the faint distant future when inexorable time has completed its work and the operas of Gounod are forever in repose in the dusty sanctuary of libraries, the Messe de Sainte Cécile, the Rédemption, and the oratorio Mors et Vita will still retain life.”  

The original version of the composition was somewhat troubling not only because of its grandeur, but also because of unauthorized additions to the text of the Mass made by the composer. In the original Gloria the final miserere nobis (have mercy on us) is intensified by an added Domine Jesu (Lord Jesus). The original Credo is followed by a threefold supplication, repeating the same text, Domine, salvum fac Imperatorem nostrum Napoleonem, et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te (Lord, save our Emperor Napoleon and hear us when we call upon you), sung the first time as the Prière de l'Eglise (Prayer of the Church) by the choir a cappella after a short instrumental introduction, the second time as the Prière de l'Armée (Prayer of the Army) by the men's voices and brass, and the third time as the Prière de la Nation (Prayer of the Nation) by the choir with orchestra. The original Mass also has an added instrumental Offertorium, between the Domine salvum and the Sanctus. In the original Agnus Dei, the soloists sing between the three invocations the text Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea (Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say a word and I shall be healed), sung first by the tenor and again by the soprano. The movement ends with an added Amen. The changes have been criticized as being not liturgically correct and, except for the added Domine Jesu in the Gloria and the instrumental Offertorium; have been omitted in the score the Chorale & Orchestra uses.

The Messe Solennelle was dedicated by the composer to Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of church musicians, who like Saint Agnes, was martyred for her faith in Rome and is memorialized in both the Roman Canon (Para. 96) and the Roman Martyrology (September 16 and November 22). Gounod also composed this Mass in memory of his music teacher and father-in-law, Pierre Joseph Zimmerman, who died in 1853. Gounod’s ability to compose dramatic music for the opera is also evident in this great Mass. The Gloria and Credo are famous for their drama, power and memorable melodies. The Sanctus with the enormous and beautiful tenor solo reaches a full musical climax at “Hosanna in excelsis” near the end of the Benedictus.

The Saint Cecelia Mass is a traditional favorite of the Chorale & Orchestra. It is presented annually on the Patronal Feast of Saint Agnes, January 21.

(Adapted from a note by Erik Eriksson in the “All Music Guide to Classical Music”, published in 2005 by Back-beat Books)

Composed by W.A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) in 1776, the Credo Mass was designed to meet the time constraints required by Prince-Archbishop Count Hieronymus von Colloredo (r.1771-1803) of Salzburg. The Mass derives its name from the long setting of the Credo, in which the word "Credo" is repeatedly sung in a two-note motif. It thus joins a tradition of so-called "Credo Masses", including Mozart's own Mass No. 7, Missa Brevis No. 3 in F Major, “Kleine Credo Messe”, K. 192 (1774) and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in D Major, Op, 123 (1823). The Credo Mass is scored for SATB soloists, SATB choir, violin I and II, 2 oboes, 2 clarini (high trumpets), 3 trombones colla parte and basso continuo. The Credo Mass has been classified as a missa solemnis, a missa brevis, and a missa brevis et solemnis – its presentation time of approximately 25 minutes makes it difficult to definitively categorize it. The inclusion of trumpets in the scoring arguably makes the Mass a missa brevis et solemnis, or possibly even a missa longa. The first presentation of the Credo Mass was in Salzburg in November of 1776 most likely at the Cathedral Church of Saints Rupert & Vergilius. It is one of three Masses Mozart composed in November and December of 1776. All of those Masses are set in C major and include, in addition to the Credo Mass, Mass No. 12, Missa Brevis No. 7 in C Major “Piccolomini” (K 258) and Mass No. 13 in C Major, Missa Brevis No. 8, “Orgelsolo” (K 259)

Mariazell is a village in the province of Steiermark, where the Austrian national shrine, Mater Austriae, is located. The name “Mariazell” means “Mary in the cell,” a reference to the cell of Brother Magnus, a Benedictine monk who carried a lime-tree wood statue of Mary to this site in 1157 and founded a chapel there. Ailing visitors who prayed before the statue reported miraculous cures, and by the 17th century more than 300,000 pilgrims visited the shrine annually. For over 800 years, the great basilica dedicated to Our Lady at Mariazell has been a place of pilgrimage for Central and Eastern Europe. In the center of the great baroque church is the Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of Grace) with its silver altar and ancient statue of Our Lady vested in brocaded robes. On September 8, 1908, Pope Pius X travelled to Mariazell and “canonically crowned” the Great Mother Austria.

In September of 2007 Pope Benedict XVI, accompanied by 30,000 pilgrims, traveled to the basilica in the Styrian Alps to celebrate the 850th anniversary of the founding of the shrine. Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau,1732; d.Vienna,1809) composed his Missa Cellensis in 1782, but it was probably not presented at Mariazell, since it is unlikely that the musical forces needed for its performance could be found in so remote a place. Rather, the Mass was probably initially presented in Vienna for a society that fostered pilgrimages to the shrine. The fugues that close the Gloria, Credo, and Agnus Dei are masterful examples of choral composition, which form musical segues back to the Masses of the Renaissance masters. The orchestration for this Mass, composed in the key of C major, requires strings, two oboes, two trumpets and tympani. Because of the liturgical restrictions imposed by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (r.1765-1790), Haydn did not create another Mass until 1796, when he composed the Paukenmesse (Mass No. 10 in C Major 'Missa in tempore belli', H. XXII:9) and the Heiligmesse (Mass No. 9 in B-flat Major 'Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida', H. XXII:10), both of which are in the repertoire of the Chorale.

The Missa Brevis in D, K 194 by W.A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) is a wonderful “brief mass” composed in August of 1774, when Mozart was 18 years old. At that time he served as a musician at the Court of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, where his father Leopold Mozart was the Deputy Kapellmeister. It is one of the younger Mozart’s nine missa brevis and is scored for chorus, soloists, and a smaller chamber orchestra. Despite the adherence to Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Graf Colloredo's strict rules of simplicity and brevity, this Mass is inventive, melodious and powerful. The listener gets a glimpse of things to come from this young composer in the complex but beautiful fugue in the Sanctus and again in the Benedictus on the text, “Hosanna in excelsis.” The poignant Agnus Dei is the most frequently presented portion of the Mass.

The Große Orgelsolomesse was composed by Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau1732; d.Vienna1809) most likely in 1770. It was titled by the composer as Missa in Honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, to serve as a Mass in honor of the Blessed Mother. It is unknown for which, if any, specific Marian feast the Mass was intended. The Große Orgelsolomesse was among the earliest sacred works Haydn composed for the Esterházy court. Its nickname is derived from the virtuoso solo organ part of the Mass in the Benedictus, during which Haydn himself was known to have been at the keyboard for presentations of the Mass. The organ solo Mass genre came into vogue in the middle of the 18th century at a time when the organ increasingly assumed a solo role within orchestrated choral compositions of the Mass.

In addition to the Große Orgelsolomesse, notable organ solo Masses included W.A. Mozart’s Mass No.13 in C Major, Missa Brevis No. 8, “Organ Solo” K 259 (1776) and Joseph Haydn’s own Mass No. 7 in B-flat Major “Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo”, “Kleine Orgelsolomesse” ('Little Organ Solo Mass') (H. XXII/7) (c.1775-1778). When compared to the Kleine Orgelsolomesse, the term große refers not to the length of the organ solo part in the Benedictus, but rather to the overall length of the Mass, which for Große is 37 minutes as opposed to Kleine’s, 17 minutes – an additional 20 minutes! The Große is therefore over double the Kleine in length as well as in difficulty. There is some speculation regarding when Haydn composed his Great Organ Solo Mass. The identifying watermark used in the manuscript paper for the Mass corresponds to the watermark in the paper used in the opera Le Pescatrici (The Fisherwoman), which was known to have been composed by Haydn in 1770 for the marriage of the niece of Prince Nicholas I, Esterházy (r.1762-1790), Countess Maria Theresa Lamberg. Additionally, the score calls for two English horns, instruments that were not acquired by the Esterházy Orchestra until 1770. Auch die Verwendung des Englischhorns war eine Besonderheit, denn diese Instrumente konnten auch das tiefe Es spielen.The work is scored for Besetzung: Soloquartett, Chor, Englischhörner, Hörner, Streicher, Orgel (später zugefügt Trompeten und Pauken)soloists (SATB), choir (SATB), 2 English horns, 2 horns, 2 violins, bass (cello or double bass), 2 clarinets, timpani, and organ.

Born in Liechtenstein, the son of the Treasurer of the Prince of Liechtenstein, Josef Rheinberger (b.Vaduz1839; d.Munich1901) gained recognition as an organist, composer and professor while at the Munich Conservatory. In 1877 he obtained the rank of court conductor, a position that gave him responsibility for the music in the royal chapel of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the “Mad King Ludwig” of Schloss Neuschwanstein fame. He was later awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Rheinberger was a superb counterpointist who wrote at least 18 Masses. One reviewer described Rheinberger’s style of church music as “romantically sumptuous yet classically refined.” His overriding criterion was beauty: “Music that does not sound beautiful has no attraction for me.” It didn’t bother Rheinberger that his compositions broke no new musical ground, and he resisted the Cecilian Movement’s efforts to return church music to the “purity” of plainchant and Renaissance polyphony. The Cecilian Movement was founded in 1868 in response to the near-disappearance of traditional plainchant and Renaissance polyphony forms in Roman Catholic worship.

Missa Sancti Nicolai is the only early Mass of Joseph Haydn (b.Rohrau,1732; d.Vienna,1809) that can be directly connected to the Esterházy court. As the title suggests, it was most likely intended for the Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6, 1772, which was also the name day of Kapellmeister Haydn’s employer Prince Nicolaus I Esterházy (r.1762–1790). After an unusually long summer and fall season at Eszterháza, the Prince’s summer palace, Nicolaus had finally agreed to allow the musicians to return to their homes in Eisenstadt in time for the Christmas season. It has been suggested that the Missa Sancti Nicolai was Haydn’s way of thanking Nicolaus, upon the return of the court to Eisenstadt. While it was an annual custom to celebrate the Prince’s name day with the presentation of a Mass in the Eisenstadt palace chapel, this seems to be one of the few times that Haydn actually composed a new Mass for the occasion. According to Austrian musicologist Otto Biba, Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 in F-Sharp Minor “Farewell” (Hob.I:45), also composed in 1772, alludes to this situation.

As the story goes, in the last movement of that symphony, Haydn subtly hinted to his patron that perhaps the Prince might allow the musicians to return home. During the final adagio each musician in turn stopped playing, snuffed out the candle on the music stand, and left the stage, so that at the end there were just two muted violins remaining, that of Haydn himself and the concertmaster. If this scenario is correct, then Haydn probably composed the Nikolaimesse rather quickly—indeed, several of the work’s features hint that time may have been of the essence. American musicologist A. Peter Brown refers to the Nikolaimesse as being a “hybrid work”, combining the elements of both the brevis and solemnis Mass styles. “As in the former, Haydn’s chorus delivers different portions of the Credo text simultaneously; the “Dona nobis pacem” reuses the music from the Kyrie (instructions in the score indicate Dona ut Kyrie – [perform the] Dona as [the] Kyrie”); and polyphony is sparsely employed.* By contrast, as in a missa solemnis, the shorter texts of the Kyrie and Agnus Dei are expansively treated.”** Though included by Brown and others in the subgenre of Christmas and Advent Masses known as missae pastorales, the Nikolaimesse is suitable for use during any season of the church year. For much of his earlier life Haydn’s energies were devoted primarily to composing orchestral and instrumental music. The Missa Sancti Nicolai is one of comparatively few choral works that he wrote before he was 50. John Bawden, editor of A Directory of Choral Music, opines that “[w]hile the St. Nicholas Mass is not on the same scale as the late Masses (it is about half the length of the Nelsonmesse), it is nevertheless quintessential Haydn in its energy, its tunefulness and, above all, its infectious joy.”

The Spatzenmesse (Sparrow Mass) was composed in Salzburg by W. A. Mozart (b.Salzburg1756; d.Vienna1791) in 1776. The Mass is sometimes termed a Missa brevis et solemnis, because it is as short and simple in structure as a Missa brevis, but festively scored like a Missa solemnis with brass and timpani in addition to soloists, strings and organ. It was first presented on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1776 at the Salzburg Cathedral. According to a letter by Mozart, a copy of the Mass was loaned to the Heiligen Kreuz Monastery the following year. The nickname Sparrow Mass is derived from reoccurring violin figures in the Sanctus and Benedictus, which resemble birds chirping – possibly a response by Mozart to the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg’s constant “chirping” at Mozart to shorten the length of his Masses. The Spatzenmesse is one of a series of five masses Mozart composed between 1775 and 1777, all of them with clarini (valveless) trumpets, and therefore in the "trumpet key" of C major. The composition is as short in duration as a Missa brevis - Mozart does not even include the fugal conclusions to the Gloria and the Credo normally expected. But, It is as richly orchestrated as a Missa solemnis, for four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), a four-part choir (SATB), two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings and organ, with the organ supplying figured bass for most of the duration.

So the Mass, as discussed above, could correctly be termed a Missa brevis et solemnis, or even a Missa longa – a shorter orchestrated Mass with solo arias for major solemnities such as Easter. Musicologist Karl Geiringer notes that the Spatzenmesse was one of the models Franz Xaver Süssmayr used when completing Mozart's Requiem (Mass No. 19 in D Minor, K 626 (1791)). Following the example of Joseph Haydn (as in the Nikolaimesse [Mass No. 6 in G Major, Missa Sancti Nicolai, Hob.XXII:6 (1772)], which is also in the Chorale & Orchestra’s repertory), Mozart in the Sparrow Mass recapitulates the music of the Kyrie in the Dona nobis pacem, a method that Süssmayr used in his completion of Mozart's Requiem. The Mozart Requiem also contains a quotation from the Sparrow Mass in its first movement, Introit - Requiem aeternam.

Franz Schubert (b.Vienna1797; d.Vienna1828) composed his Mass in C in July of 1816. Although he was only 19 years old, this was his fourth Mass and his 452nd musical composition, according to the catalogue of Schubert’s works compiled by musicologist Otto Deutsch. A second Benedictus for this Mass was added much later and listed by Deutsch as D 961, but it is the original Benedictus that we will hear in Sunday’s presentation. By the time of his death at age 31, Schubert had written almost 1,000 works, including more than 600 songs.

Franz Schubert was an accomplished singer as well as a gifted composer for chorus, orchestra and piano. His solo songs are considered standard repertoire for voice students at any level and his melodies are always beautiful and wonderful to sing. The original Benedictus is an excellent example of Schubert’s many memorable melodies. Schubert’s treatment of the liturgical texts has come in for some criticism, especially for the omission of some passages in the Credo. One explanation is that Schubert was quoting the lines from memory, because he did not have access to the texts. In any case, the Chorale sings edited versions of these Masses, which include the complete text, and thus are liturgically correct.