Polyphonic and Orchestral Mass Ordinaries
  • emac3183
    Posts: 90
    Hello!

    In my new/current post, I have the luxury of being able to program and perform awesome Mass Ordinaries.

    So far this year, we've done Faure's Requiem and Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai for All Souls and Holy Family, respectively. The choir had sung these last year, so the prep was significantly easier than it could have been. Last year, they sang Victoria's Missa O Magnum and Pro defunctis a 6, as well as Haydn's Missa Brevis No. 7 in Bb.

    I'm looking for options for polyphonic/orchestral Masses and am overwhelmed. I am particularly targeting Ascension, Pentecost, and Corpus Christi.

    Here's what I'm looking for in polyphonic ordinaries:
    SATB, or possible SSATB or SATTB. SSATTB is a stretch, but could be done if worth it.
    Pretty straightforward, but sublime
    Concise (Kyrie/Gloria in 5-7 min max, Sanctus/Benedictus in the 3-6 min range, Agnus Dei around 3 min...these numbers could be flexible for especially captivating arrangements)

    Here's what I'm looking for in orchestral ordinaries:
    A bulk of the work is done by 4 voices (and so could be handled by my section leaders if necessary, similar to the Sancti Nicolai) AND/OR
    Pretty straightforward, but sublime
    Concise (same parameters as the polyphonic ordinaries) or can be edited down without destroying the musical identity of the piece
    Doesn't require huge orchestral forces (could be done with string quartet and oboe, for instance) but is "expandable"

    What are your suggestions to start? Thank you!
  • GerardH
    Posts: 630
    De Profunctis

    De profundis or pro defunctis? lol

    Mozart has several Masses which are fairly brief and lightly orchestrated - Sparrow Mass is probably the prime example, or D major (KV 194).

    Byrd's three Masses should absolutely be your next polyphonic project.

    Please don't edit things for brevity. Get everyone to sit during the Gloria instead (a la Westminster cathedral)
    Thanked by 2emac3183 Chant_Supremacist
  • Chaswjd
    Posts: 301
    You could try the Haydn Missa Rorate Caeli.
    Thanked by 1emac3183
  • emac3183
    Posts: 90
    The Sparrow Mass and Byrd a 4 are really strong contenders so far! Thank you @GerardH.

    Apparently my Latin is dyslexic--had to laugh at that one.
  • Drake
    Posts: 235
    Shameless plug ... but if you are willing to consider a new Mass setting, I recently completed Missa O Rex Gloriae, which is looking for its debut (PDF is free for liturgical use). It is a polyphonic, a4 (SATB) setting. I find it is generally in the style of Victoria, so it should be approachable coming from Missa O Magnum and Victoria's a6 requiem.

    Kyrie is around 2.5 minutes, Gloria about 5 minutes, Sanctus/Benedictus together around 3 minutes, Agnus Dei about 2.75 minutes. (Depends a bit on tempo and interpretation).
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 79
    Some of the masses by the predecessor of Haydn in Esterhazy, Gregor Joseph Werner are quite concise and do not demand wind instruments. This is rarely performed high quality music form the galant era. Here is the beginning of the Agnus Dei of his Missa "Sunt bona mixta malis".

    And for a concise four part a capella polyphonic setting, may I shamelessly suggest my "Missa Phrygia"? Here is a recording of the Gloria. Quite Josquin-like, but in the convenient range of a modern mixed choir.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,083
    Many masses by Victoria fit your parameters, esp. (in order of difficulty)
    SATB
    *Missa O quam gloriosum (All Saints)
    Missa O magnum mysterium (Christmas)
    Missa Ave maris stella (Feasts of Our Lady)
    SAATB
    Missa Trahe me post te
    SSATB
    Missa Ascendens Christus (Ascension)

    All these (except the Missa Ave maris stella) are based on his own motets.

    Some SATB Palestrina Masses that seem to fit the bill:
    *Missa Aeterna Christi munera
    Missa Brevis
    Missa Ave regina caelorum
    Missa Già fu chi m'ebbe cara
    Missa Je suis desheritee ("Sine nomine" in older sources)

    Palestrina Masses fitting for particular feast days:
    Missa Dies sanctificatus (Christmas)
    Missa Regina caeli a4 (Easter)
    MIssa O rex gloriae (Ascension)
    Missa Iam Christus astra (Pentecost)
    Missa Lauda Sion (Corpus Christi)

    A few by Lassus for SATB:
    *Missa Octavi toni ("Jager")
    Missa Pilons l'orge
    Missa Quand'io pens'al matire
    Missa Il me suffit

    A few easier ones by various composers, most shorter than the ones listed above:
    Bernardi - MIssa Il bianco e dolce cigno
    *Gabrieli, Andrea - Missa brevis
    *Hassler - Missa Dixit Maria
    *Hassler - Missa Secunda
    *Morales - Missa Caça
    Tallis - Mass for Four Voices ("Mass for a Mean")
    *Viadana - Missa L'hora passa

    You can start with ones by Victoria or those marked * which particularly brief. in terms of musical quality, Palestrina's Missa Brevis, Victoria's Missa Ascendens Christus and Tallis' Mass for Four Voices are among the finest on the list.
    Scores for most of these are available at CPDL.
    NB: most of the Masses by Victoria, Palestrina, and Lassus ask for an expanded choir for the final Agnus Dei, typically an additional soprano or tenor (SSATB or SATTB).
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab Chant_Supremacist
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,924
    A lot of Palestrina is ~16'-17' without Credo, though Victoria is the champion at the brisk Sanctus. I've been working on cpdl's gaps in Palestrina's 4-part masses.

    Hard be at a loss with Haydn & Mozart, but Schubert's D.167 (strings) and D.452 (2vln & bc) come to mind; the wind parts seem to have been added later by Ferdinand.
  • CGM
    Posts: 788
    There's a fellow named Manfred Hößl who has posted an incredible number of choral/orchestral Mass Ordinaries on CPDL.

    I've programmed a few of them:
    — Missa no. 3 in D, gekürzt (Hummel)
    — Messe in F (Sojka)
    — Missa brevis (Drahlovsky)
    — Missa in B-flat (Stadler)
    — Messe à 4 (Aiblinger)
    — Festmesse (Nussbaumer)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,209
    NB: most of the Masses by Victoria, Palestrina, and Lassus ask for an expanded choir for the final Agnus Dei, typically an additional soprano or tenor (SSATB or SATTB).

    And there goes your 3' limit.
    I'm assuming this is for the Missal of Paul VI, since those of us who do the Missal of Pius V don't generally have priests watching the clock (within reason...) But I've done weddings, and getting a 3fold Agnus to work in the timing of the NO is really hard. You could do chant-chant-polyphony, or even take a setting with a slightly extended Miserere and slap a Dona Nobis on the later iterations.

    But if you have time but not budget to do an Agnus II for Palestrina Aeterne Christi Munera, I boiled it down for 4 voices and think the result is fairly convincing.
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