Mass In D Minor

In none of his works with the exception of the Requiem did Mozart again reach let alone surpass the lofty seriousness and the religious dedication of his Grand Mass in C Minor. The strict manner of the composition that prevails almost throughout the use of five and eight-part choruses the breadth of the solo movements as well as the treatment of the orchestra raise it infinitely above all his earlier works in this genre and place it beside the great Masses of Bach and Beethoven.The work was written for double chorus of mixed voices four solo voices and orchestra. Mozart never finished the Grand Mass and it has been completed by Alois Schmitt. This edition containsa piano reduction of the orchestral parts.

In response to a continued interest in a scholarly facsimile of the Mass in B minor, a new cloth-bound facsimile edition (BVK 2194) has now been published. This replaces the original BÄRENREITER FACSIMILE edition (BVK 1911).

Johann Sebastian Bach completed the Mass in B minor in 1748/49 shortly after the Art of Fugue and shortly before his death. This late work is as concentrated and rich in compositional technique as scarcely any other work. As early as 1818, Hans-Georg Nägeli enthusiastically described the Mass as the greatest musical artwork of all time and all nations?. Since then it has been ranked as an icon of music history.

One of the primary functions of a facsimile is the preservation of such a cultural heritage, particularly when the manuscript (as is the case with the Mass in B minor) is endangered and damaged by iron gall ink erosion. Furthermore, it is moving for Bach admirers to see how in some passages Bach?s handwriting reflects the effort which this last work demanded of him.

The facsimile documents and records the present condition of the complete autograph score. Older reproductions have substituted a few individual folios where the content has become difficult to read in recent years.
The renowned Bach scholar Christoph Wolff describes the work?s significance in his introduction, gives an overview of the history of composition and draws attention to particular distinguishing features of the manuscript.


This facsimile edition is a model for the presentation of musical sources, both in appearance and in documentation. [?] Wolff's facsimile will serve as foundational tools
(Notes, December 2008)

Once, Bach came up against the boundaries of his art, on blotchy, 260-year-old paper. ?Et expecto?? is this point in the B minor mass, ?And I look for the resurrection of the dead.? Bach wrote modulations which were extraordinary. He had to strive for these. He crossed out ? although this is a fair copy ? hatched and scratched until the paper tore. He was already an old man, his script leans to the left. The handwriting here isn?t nearly as lively as in the ?Cum sancto Spirito?, written earlier. Everywhere, one is moved by the closeness to the manuscript which the facsimile conveys ? one of the most sumptuous ever published.
(DIE ZEIT Literatur, December 2007) / [Messe en Si mineur BWV 232] / Classique / Fac-similé /

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) composed this Mass Op. 36 in 1878 for the St Sulpice church in Paris. The initial two choirs for which it was composed were comprised of around 200 and 40 voices while the score for this version is for a choir of baritones and an SATB choir. The Organ part requires an advanced-level of ability as it contains some difficult parts. Divided into five sections the entire work has been transposed one half step lower ‘to avoid the awkward key of F sharp major’. These sections are:  1. Kyrie (Moderato – F# minor) 2. Gloria (Vivace – Lento D major 3.Sanctus (Con brio A major) 4. Benedictus ( Piú lento A major) 5. Agnus Dei (Moderato F# major) This really delicate and emotive Mass Op. 36 is a piece that stands out by its majesty. Charles-Marie Widor was a great organist who did not only focus on Organ composition. From orchestra pieces to chamber music he wrote various different compositions including 10 symphonies for Organ some Operas and some Piano Concerti.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Mass In C Minor K. 427 arranged by H. C. Robbins Landon for SATB choir.

The Mass in B minor (BWV232) is a stupendous creation that exemplifies Bach's mighty genius composed for SSATB soli SSATB chorus and orchestra. This edition expertly edited by Neil Jenkins contains the complete Vocal Score with a Piano accompaniment. With notes and editorial commentary in English and text in Latin.