Your favourite Masses
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    My favorite Mass is probably the "Missa Regia" by Henry du Mont, which is still quite popular in France.

    I seriously contemplated introducing this mass at our parish this year. Even sent it to the pastor so we could discuss it. At the moment, I haven't taken the plunge, but I really do love it.
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    The anonymous 17th century Missa Ferialis found in the archives of the Granada Cathedral is a very good choice for Advent or Lent. Very simple.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,046
    found in the archives of the Granada Cathedral

    And for those of us without access to that archive...is there an edition available?
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    Malcolm Missa ad Praesepe. If you haven't listened...do it.
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab Jeffrey Quick
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    Sorry - I’m a bit of a Luddite when trying to put links on the smartphone. This link obviously isn’t live but hope it helps. (Aristotle’s editions are always top notch)

    https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Missa_ferialis_(Anonymous)
    Thanked by 2ServiamScores Jeffrey Quick
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,046
    Wow! That's totally simple but not cheap. Thank you, and thank you to Mr. Esguerra.
  • stulte
    Posts: 355
    Palestrina is good, but I could easily level against his Masses the same charge as that which is levelled against Vivaldi's concertos.

    I strongly suspect that this is in no small part due to the fact that we only ever hear a tiny fraction of his output of Masses. One could sing a different Mass setting by Palestrina every single Sunday for two years before you had to repeat one of them. But, what usually is sung? Missae Aeterna Christi Munera, Brevis, et Papae Marcelli. Sometimes, Iste Confessor, Assumpta Est Maria, and maybe one or two others. Don't get me wrong, they're great! But, I'd love to hear or sing his Missa Sicut Lilium or Missa Dum Complerentur sometime. Even for a smaller group, Missa Ave Regina Caelorum would be a nice break from the A.C.M. and Brevis.

    While I'm thinking of it, another fellow whose Masses are often ignored is Gregorio Allegri. Missa che fa oggi il mio sole and Missa Vidi Turbam Magnam (the former based on music by Luca Marenzio and the later on a motet by Palestrina) are both very nice.

    Another question concerning Lent: Which masses do you use for this season?

    I'll probably use Missa XVII. I recently took over a group at our Cathedral and am working on getting them more exposure to chant Ordinaries besides de Angelis. We did Orbis Factor for the past month and a half. We'll move onto Missa IX Cum Jubilo for Advent/Christmas/Epiphanytide.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,942
    Here's a direct link to one of the two PDFs of that MF:

    https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/6/64/Missa_Ferialis_(complete)_-_Anonymous.pdf
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Stulte,

    I think you'll find that in far too many places your list of "frequent" Palestrina Mass settings is far too large to accommodate what they actually sing.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,032
    I think where the "Too much Renaissance" problem comes from in Trad. circles is the over-use of Palestrina because of it's alleged "canonization" in Tra le. I don't often hear of Ockeghem Masses being performed, or even Josquin.

    I beg to differ - most of it is simply practical logistics.

    In addition to what Jeffrey said (the bar for entry is quite a bit higher), the last time I sang a Josquin Mass it took twice the time just to get the notes and the Sanctus kept the priest waiting (he didn't mind). The result was thrilling, but it was a real workout even for the pros and would be pretty tough to pull off with a completely amateur choir.

    More often than not the voice ranges of Ockeghem et al. do not lend themselves to a standard SATB choir, and the lines are so long that it's very difficult for a small ensemble to sing unless they are really expert. Ditto for the duets in many Josquin masses - they're not for the faint of heart!

    Perhaps Palestrina and the Roman school can become bland after a while for some, but most non-musicians in the pews delight in what is familiar to them rather than what might excite the members of the choir.

    I'm grateful for any Renaissance I can do and don't see it as a "problem"!
    Thanked by 1Jeffrey Quick
  • John_F_ChurchJohn_F_Church
    Posts: 52
    Thanks for asking! I’ve often tried to put together a top ten of this very question.

    Of course I love any of the Gregorian Masses (especially Mass VIII — normie, I know. But also IX and XI.)

    Then Palestrina — Missa Aeterna Christi Munera and Missa Brevis are Faves of mine.

    But aside from classic chant and Palestrina, here are some others.

    Latin:
    • Monteverdi: Massa a quattri voci (1641) [also, his posthumous one]
    • Gounod: Messe Chorale
    • William Lloyd Webber: Missa Princeps Pacem
    • Rheinberger: Mass in Eb for Double Choir
    • Ralph Vaughn Williams: Mass in G minor
    • Perosi: Missa Cerviana
    • Max Filke: Mass in G (in honor of St Charles Borromeo)
    • Liszt: Missa Choralis
    • Lotti: Mass in D major for 3 voices
    • Caldera/Zelenka: Missa “Providentiae” in D minor

    As far as English goes, I like Clark’s JP2 Mass, and any mass by Jeff Ostrowski.
    Thanked by 1StimsonInRehab
  • Jehan_Boutte
    Posts: 264
    @ServiamScores

    I seriously contemplated introducing this mass at our parish this year. Even sent it to the pastor so we could discuss it. At the moment, I haven't taken the plunge, but I really do love it.


    Go for it. It is a great Mass to sing, especially for the greater feasts.
    Thanked by 1ServiamScores
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