DESCRIPTION:
The Missa Brevis No. 10 in C major, K. 220, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775 or 1776 for Salzburg. The mass is scored for soloists, choir, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings and organ, the latter supplying figured bass for most of the duration. It is called the Sparrow Mass (or Spatzenmesse) on account of "the violin figures in the "Hosanna" of the "Sanctus" and "Benedictus" which recall the chirping of birds." The Sparrow Mass is the first of five Mozart wrote in the same key, C major, as if he was setting himself a compositional challenge. Furthermore, Mozart wrote four other missae breves in C major. The setting is divided into six movements.
1. "Kyrie" Allegro, C major, common time
2. "Gloria" Allegro, C major, 3/4
3. "Credo" Allegro, C major, common time
—"Et incarnatus est..." Andante
—"Et resurrexit..." Allegro
4. "Sanctus" Andante, C major, 3/4
—"Pleni sunt caeli..." Allegro, common time
5. "Benedictus" Andante, G major, common time
—"Osanna..." Allegro, C major
6. "Agnus Dei" Adagio, C major, 3/4
—"Dona nobis pacem..." Allegro, common time
Even in a missa brevis, fugues are expected to conclude the Gloria and the Credo, but Mozart does not write fugues at those points in this mass. Following the example of Joseph Haydn (such as in the Nicolaimesse) and Michael Haydn, Mozart in this mass recalls the music of the Kyrie in the Dona nobis, something which Franz Xaver Süssmayr did in his completion of Mozart's Requiem. Incidentally, the Requiem contains an almost literal quotation from this mass in the Requiem aeternam.
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FREE .mp3 and .wav files of all Mozart's music at: http://www.mozart-archiv.de/
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NOTE: I do not know who the performers of this are, nor the place and date of recording!!! Any suggestions are welcome.
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