A
missa brevis (
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
, pl.
missae breves) is, literally, a "short
MassThe Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the fixed portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
". It can refer to several forms of the mass, from the "telescoped" Viennese masses of
Haydn Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important, prolific and prominent composers of the classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these genres...
and
MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as...
to the
Low MassLow Mass is a Tridentine Mass defined officially as Mass in which the priest does not chant the parts that the rubrics assign to him....
(called
messe basse in
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
and
Deutsche SingmesseDeutsche Singmesse is a form of Low Mass approved by certain Catholic bishops in German-speaking countries and formerly approved of by American Catholic bishops for ethnic German parishes in their dioceses....
in
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
), or in the specifically
LutheranLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the 16th century German reformer Martin Luther. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
sense to a mixed setting. Nowadays it is generally understood as a setting of the ordinary mass that does not include the
CredoA credo is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed.The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the mass.-History:After the formulation of the...
and is a popular genre of twentieth century
choralA choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus...
composition.
The "Credo" is often omitted, but these movements may be included:
- Kyrie
Kýrie is from the Greek word κύριε , the vocative case of κύριος , meaning O Lord. It is the common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called Kýrie, eléison which is Greek for Lord, have mercy....
- Gloria
"Gloria in excelsis Deo" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology and the Angelic Hymn....
- Credo
A credo is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed.The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the mass.-History:After the formulation of the...
- Sanctus
The Sanctus is an important hymn of Christian liturgy, forming part of the ordinary of the mass.In Western Christianity, the Sanctus is sung as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine...
and Benedictus
- Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei is a Latin term meaning Lamb of God, and was originally used to refer to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacrificial offering that atones for the sins of humanity in Christian theology, harkening back to ancient Jewish Temple sacrifices...
Note that although the Sanctus and Benedictus form a single part of the liturgical Mass, composers often choose to set this as two (or more) musical parts.
The simultaneous recitation of different sections of long texts in various voices is a feature of some
missae breves.
A
missa brevis (
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
, pl.
missae breves) is, literally, a "short
MassThe Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the fixed portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
". It can refer to several forms of the mass, from the "telescoped" Viennese masses of
Haydn Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important, prolific and prominent composers of the classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these genres...
and
MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as...
to the
Low MassLow Mass is a Tridentine Mass defined officially as Mass in which the priest does not chant the parts that the rubrics assign to him....
(called
messe basse in
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
and
Deutsche SingmesseDeutsche Singmesse is a form of Low Mass approved by certain Catholic bishops in German-speaking countries and formerly approved of by American Catholic bishops for ethnic German parishes in their dioceses....
in
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
), or in the specifically
LutheranLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the 16th century German reformer Martin Luther. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
sense to a mixed setting. Nowadays it is generally understood as a setting of the ordinary mass that does not include the
CredoA credo is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed.The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the mass.-History:After the formulation of the...
and is a popular genre of twentieth century
choralA choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus...
composition.
The "Credo" is often omitted, but these movements may be included:
- Kyrie
Kýrie is from the Greek word κύριε , the vocative case of κύριος , meaning O Lord. It is the common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called Kýrie, eléison which is Greek for Lord, have mercy....
- Gloria
"Gloria in excelsis Deo" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology and the Angelic Hymn....
- Credo
A credo is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed.The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the mass.-History:After the formulation of the...
- Sanctus
The Sanctus is an important hymn of Christian liturgy, forming part of the ordinary of the mass.In Western Christianity, the Sanctus is sung as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine...
and Benedictus
- Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei is a Latin term meaning Lamb of God, and was originally used to refer to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacrificial offering that atones for the sins of humanity in Christian theology, harkening back to ancient Jewish Temple sacrifices...
Note that although the Sanctus and Benedictus form a single part of the liturgical Mass, composers often choose to set this as two (or more) musical parts.
The simultaneous recitation of different sections of long texts in various voices is a feature of some
missae breves. This is especially characteristic of Austrian masses which usually include the Credo; this technique is applied to the Gloria as well.
The Lutheran
missa brevis often consists of either a Kyrie/Gloria (as in
J. S. BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist whose ecclesiastical and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's four
missae breves) or a Sanctus/(Benedictus)/Agnus (as in
BrahmsJohannes Brahms , German composer and pianist, was one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
'
Missa canonica), reflecting the widespread practice of mixing settings.
Mozart also composed a
missa longa (the opposite of a
missa brevis) which simply takes more time to perform, and is more elaborate.
A
messe basse is simply a "Low Mass", which may be entirely spoken in a low voice to the accompaniment of music. It is the equivalent of the Deutsche Singmesse.
FauréGabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist, and teacher. He was the foremost French composer of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
's
Messe basse and
SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's
Deutsche Messe, D. 872, are famous examples.
Notable examples of the
missa brevis form are by composers such as:
- Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist whose ecclesiastical and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
- Richard Rodney Bennett
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBE is an English composer renowned for his film scores and his jazz performance as much as for his challenging concert works...
- Lennox Berkeley
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
- Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
- Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
- Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist, and teacher. He was the foremost French composer of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
- Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important, prolific and prominent composers of the classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these genres...
(the Missa Brevis in F and the Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de DeoThe Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo in B-flat major by Joseph Haydn, Hob. XXII:7, Novello 8, was written in 1775 for the Barmherzige Brüder in Eisenstadt, whose patron saint was St. John...
)
- Michael Haydn
Johann Michael Haydn was an Austrian composer of the classical period, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn.-Life:...
- Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist, and philosopher.-Life:...
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as...
(K. 49, K. 65, K. 140The Missa Brevis No. 6 in G major, K. 140, K3 Anh. 235d, K6 Anh. C 1.12, may have been written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1773 for Salzburg. The mass is scored for soloists, choir, strings and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration...
, K. 192Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Missa Brevis in F major, K. 192 , was completed in Salzburg, 24 June 1774. It is scored for SATB soloists, SATB choir, 2 trumpets , 3 trombones, 2 violins, bass, organ. AMA I/1 No...
, K. 194, K. 220The Missa Brevis No. 10 in C major, K. 220, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775 or 1776 for Salzburg. The mass is scored for soloists, choir, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration...
, K. 275The Missa Brevis No. 9 in B-flat major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K. 275/272b, was probably written before September 1777 for Salzburg. The mass is scored for soloists, choir, strings and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration....
)
- Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian composer of the Renaissance. He was the most famous sixteenth-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
- Stephen Paulus
Stephen Paulus is an American composer, best known for his operas and choral music. His best-known piece is his 1982 opera The Postman Always Rings Twice, one of several operas he has written for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, which prompted The New York Times to call him "a young man on the road...
- William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was a British composer and conductor.His style was influenced by the works of Stravinsky and Prokofiev as well as jazz music, and is characterized by rhythmic vitality, bittersweet harmony, sweeping Romantic melody and brilliant orchestration...