Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Favorite mass?

True - in some ways. During the past two years I've upgraded my home stereo system, and have been purchasing pristine LP's and CD's for a couple of dollars each from Goodwill to further build my collection. I've found several classical LP's and CD's from the 1970s, 80s and 90s unopened in their original packaging. It has been a delightful hobby. I'm one of those old guys who still likes to hold a disc in his hand and enjoy the artwork on the packaging with written commentary about each recording. Loading "songs" into a USB Flash Drive just doesn't do it for me.

Sicut Cervus

https://youtu.be/NHUuaA8DKiQ

It's too difficult to pick a favourite, but to add on to those lovely masses already mentioned...

Stravinsky's Mass for chorus and double wind quintet is stunning in every way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5MHwHS5Doo

I also adore Vaughan Williams' Mass in g minor...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf4vTsH16CU

Let's not forget the beautiful Schubert Mass No. 2 in G Major D 167 - composed in less than a week when Schubert was only 18. The guy was a genius.

https://youtu.be/u5HFosuArRM

If you like piano, then Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle is worth a listen.

Good call on Rossini. It’s not often performed or well known.

I need to give Stravinsky’s mass another listen. It didn’t appeal a lot to me when I studied it in grad school (Stravinsky in general hasn’t appealed a lot to me), but maybe I’ll get it more now.

As a boy I attended a Jesuit school and was selected for the choir. So I sung the mass in latin twice a week and loved it, and that's how I learned to read (very basic) sheet music. We added occasional hymns like Tantum Ergo, Veni Creator, Stabat Mater, etc. to the normal liturgy. The old chaplain/choirmaster liked to experiment with polyphony and cannons although the melodies were usually the standard gregorian fare. It was a very liberal, academically demanding school, run by a semi-marxist jesuit prefect recently expelled from China by Mao. There were some non-catholic boys, who did not have to go to mass but were drafted into the choir anyway if they had a good voice. My best cello-playing friend today was such a boy.

So when I listen to great masses, I kind of regret that the Kyrie, Gloria, etc.. are not the one that I am so used to and loved so much. Even with Bach's Si Mineur, I tend to focus on the instruments-only bits...

Beethoven, Missa Solemnis

There are so many!
I like older composers.
But we have sung in a choir Palmer's Missa a Bueno Aires. It's very beautiful, and I would say listeners were delighted too. My parents have liked it a lot as well.

All of this, word for word

I tried to like Bach B minor but it apparently really needs some getting into. In contrast, Mozart C minor seems like pop music.

Paul Chihara's Missa Carminum Brevis is one I like. Here's the Benedictus - it's not too often you hear "Montana" rhymed with "Hosana"!
https://youtu.be/wvTvaoUPjO0

Lou Harrison's Mass to St. Anthony is quite beautiful. Here's the Agnus Dei -
https://youtu.be/2euaOQQsdTQ

Persichetti's Mass is wonderful -
https://youtu.be/U4beRl8hblw

I love the a cappella Chrysalid Requiem by Toby Twining, which is just mind-boggling in its microtonal tuning demands on the singers. Oh, there's overtone throat singing required, too. Here's the Sanctus -
https://youtu.be/HgGqm_jnL_0


Of course, there are a ton of great masses by the usual suspects - I have particularly liked Bruckner's Mass # 3 and Haydn's Theresienmesse and Mass in Time of War.

The Toby Twining is really original, it is modern and yet there is also a form of melodic and tonal consistency. I liked some parts of the Lou Harrison mass. The Agnus Dei is better than some of the other parts.

I am less sensitive to Persichetti and even less to Chihara. I did not find them to be melodically appealing. I would say some other compositions would be more elaborate like the Poulenc Mass or Penderecki missa brevis. Obviously just a personal point of view.