Messe solennelle in d

How does a composer apply for a position at court? With their own music, of course! When, in 1810, Luigi Cherubini wanted to recommend himself as Joseph Haydn’s successor at the court of the Hungarian Prince Nikolaus II. Esterházy, he composed his Messe solennelle in D minor.

Cherubini chose a very expansive, almost opulent mass that offered him ample opportunity to demonstrate his skills. The work is longer than Beethoven’s Missa solemnis and is certainly among the most extensive settings of the Mass Ordinary – the Gloria alone comprises nearly 900 measures. However, the mass is not overwhelming merely due to its scale; it also relies on carefully coordinated contrasts. One example is the Et incarnatus. The first part, written for solo voices, is reserved and reverent – sung largely a cappella. In the second half, the movement intensifies over rhythmic ostinatos with the help of a very long and prominent pedal point in the vocal lines and clarinets, giving the Crucifixion scene an unrelenting and tragic character. Bold – yet still captivating – harmonic turns and the contrast with the first part of the movement make its effect all the more striking. At court, Cherubini's efforts did not lead to the desired appointment, but he successfully published his Messe solennelle himself in 1825.

Drawing on the autograph score, Wolfgang Hochstein’s critical edition is the first to offer the Hosanna in the form originally intended by the composer. It also contains a useful alternative introduction to the Sanctus, which survives in the autograph but was not included in the first published version. The critical edition thus offers valuable insights into this multifaceted sacred work from the period between the Classical and Romantic eras.