Cantus Missae
| Cantus Missae Mass in E-flat major | |
|---|---|
| by Josef Rheinberger | |
| Allerheiligen-Hofkirche in 1886 | |
| Key | E-flat major |
| Opus | 109 |
| Text | Mass ordinary |
| Language | Latin |
| Composed | 1878 (1878) |
| Dedication | Pope Leo XIII |
| Performed | 1 January 1879 (1879年01月01日): Allerheiligen-Hofkirche. Munich |
| Published | 1879 (1879): Munich by Josef Aibl |
| Scoring | two SATB choirs |
Cantus Missae is a mass in E-flat major for double choir a cappella by Josef Rheinberger, composed in 1878. Its full title is Cantus Missae ex octo modulatione vocum concinnatus. It was first performed at the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche in Munich on 1 January 1879. Rheinberger dedicated it to Pope Leo XIII which earned him the Order of St. Gregory the Great for the work.
History
[edit ]Josef Rheinberger composed 14 masses, in addition to three Requiem masses and several youthful mass compositions. Most of these works were written during his tenure as Bavarian court composer in Munich, beginning in 1877, when liturgical music became his focus.[1] He wrote the Mass in E-flat major, titled Cantus Missae ex octo modulatione vocum concinnatus within a few days in January 1878. He dedicated it to the new Pope Leo XIII on 20 February.[2] It was first performed at the Allerheiligen-Hofkirche of the Munich Residenz on 1 January 1879, conducted by the composer.[1]
The mass was first published by Musikverlag Josef Aibl [de] in Munich the same year.[3] Leo XIII awarded Rheinberger the Order of St. Gregory the Great in July 1979 for the composition. The work is Rheinberger's only mass for a double choir.[1] The mass was published by Carus-Verlag in 1994 as part of the complete edition of the composer's works.[1]
Structure and music
[edit ]Rheinberger set the parts of the mass ordinary in six movements:[1]
- Kyrie (Moderato)
- Gloria (Allegro moderato)
- Credo (Moderato)
- Sanctus (Lento)
- Benedictus (Andantino)
- Agnus Dei (Lento)
Rheinberger composed the first lines of both Gloria and Credo for the choir, Gloria for eight voices and Credo for bass. The duration is given as 24 minutes.
Similarly to other vocal works by Rheinberger, the melodies are singable (cantabile), based on Renaissance polyphony. The harmonies include chromaticism and sudden dissonances. The work has been described as 19th-century Palestrina.
Rheinberger's student Joseph Renner [de] described the mass as the culmination of Rheinberger's a cappella works, "permeated with a truly religious atmosphere, with blooming polyphony".[1]
Recordings
[edit ]- Kammerchor Stuttgart, cond. Frieder Bernius), Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart 1989
- Choir of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, cond. Geoffrey Webber, Universal Music, 1997 / 2015
- St Albans Cathedral Choir, cond. Andrew Lucas, Lammas, 2007
- Camerata Vocale Freiburg, cond. Winfried Toll, Ars Metalli (Membran), 2012[4]
References
[edit ]- ^ a b c d e f Schulze, Willi, ed. (18 June 1981). "Cantus Missae / Messe in Es · Mass in E flat major / op. 109" (PDF). Carus-Verlag . Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ Gmeinwieser, Siegfried (2004). "Josef Rheinberger und die Münchner Hofkapelle". Josef Rheinberger – Werk und Wirkung. Bericht über das Internationale Symposium anlässlich des 100. Todestages des Komponisten, veranstaltet von der Gesellschaft für Bayerische Musikgeschichte [de] und dem Institut für Musikwissenschaft der Universität München, München, 23.-25.11.2001 (in German). Tutzing: Hans Schneider Verlag. p. 256. ISBN 978-3-79-521175-2.
- ^ Eintrag in: Musikalisch-literarischer Monatsbericht für das Jahr 1879, Nr. 7 (Juli), Friedrich Hofmeister Musikverlag, Leipzig, p. 215
- ^ Büssers, Peter (18 October 2010). "Romantische Achtstimmigkeit aus Freiburg". klassik.com (in German). Retrieved 22 March 2025.
External links
[edit ]- Mass in E-flat major, Op.109 (Rheinberger, Josef Gabriel): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Mass in E flat, Op. 109 'Cantus Missæ' (Josef Rheinberger): Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)