Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo

The Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo in B-flat major by Joseph Haydn, Hob. XXII:7, Novello 8,[1] was written in 1775 for the Barmherzige Brüder in Kismarton, Hungarian Kingdom, (now Eisenstadt, Austria) whose patron saint was St. John of God.[2] Sometimes known as the "Kleine Orgelmesse" ("Little Organ Mass") because of the extensive organ solo in the Benedictus.

Originally scored for choir, strings and organ, there also exist versions with trumpets and timpani, and clarinets.

The setting is divided into six movements.

  1. "Kyrie" Adagio, common time, B-flat major
  2. "Gloria" Allegro molto, 3/4, B-flat major (originally Joseph's was just 31 measures, Michael's is 118)
  3. "Credo" Allegro, common time, B-flat major - "Et incarnatus est..." Adagio 3/4 - "Et resurrexit..." Allegro
  4. "Sanctus" Allegro, 6/8, B-flat major
  5. "Benedictus" Moderato, common time, E-flat major - "Osanna..." 6/8, B-flat major
  6. "Agnus Dei" Adagio, 3/4, B-flat major

The setting of the Crucifixus is longer than in Haydn's previous Missa Brevis (the one in F).[3]

Being a missa brevis, "several clauses of the text [are set] simultaneously in different voices."[4] This Mass was also used in Salzburg, where the textual compression was deemed "unacceptable" so Michael Haydn (Joseph's brother) expanded the Gloria.[5] Very few performances however, use Michael's expansion. In the latter, the Gloria lasts less than a minute. However, the Oxford edition presents Michael's prolongation in the main body of the text and Joseph's short original as an appendix.[6] Johann Georg Albrechtsberger wrote an alternate Benedictus.

Notes

  1. ↑ p. 265 (1974) Hugues
  2. ↑ p. [blank] (1989) McCaldin
  3. ↑ Jasmin Melissa Cameron (2006). The Crucifixion in Music: An Analytical Survey of the Crucifixus between 1680 and 1800 Contextual Bach Studies No. 1, The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 193
  4. ↑ p. 125 (1974) Hugues
  5. ↑ p. [blank] (1989) McCaldin
  6. ↑ p. 458 (1989) Aston

References

External links