MISSA
Masses of the 20th Century

Volume 1
MISSA Vol. 1

With this production
SICUS Klassik
was starting a new series:

MISSA  —  Masses of the 20th Century

"Ite, missa est," freely translated as "Go, you are now dismissed" – throughout the history of the celebration of the Mass, this is how the faithful have been bade farewell by the priest, since the 7th century at any rate. It has also been a good half millennium since the Mass developed out of the church service as an independent musical genre. Indeed, its vocal-instrumental form is of absolutely central historical significance in its liturgical and interdenominational definition. There is hardly a composer of rank and name who has not come to terms with it. To name only a few representative composers: Dufay, des Prez and Palestrina from the Renaissance; Johann Sebastian Bach, François Couperin le Grand, Alessandro Scarlatti and Pergolesi from the Baroque, the Viennese triumvirate of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven from the Classical Period, with Beethoven forming the transition to the 19th century, including Schubert, Berlioz, Verdi, Liszt, Bruckner and Dvorák.

The Masses of these composers and their countless contemporaries, encompassing a capella, organ, solo and orchestral Masses, reflect the general musical development of their respective times. In this respect the Masses of the twentieth century are no different, in that they more or less depart from tradition. In their way, they document the radical stylistic transformation from late romanticism (e.g. Reger and Haas) to early modernism in its complete range (e.g. Stravinsky, Jolivet, David, Hindemith, Pepping, Schroeder and Distler) to dodecaphony (e.g. Martin, Ahrens and Heiller).

Five Masses from the second half of the twentieth century are introduced on this CD. This repertoire may at first appear unusual, but it once more reveals the openness of the exclusive label SICUSKlassik to new music. These works were composed between 1952 and 1980 for liturgical use, but this does not render them unsuitable for concert performance – quite the contrary. Their composers, born during the four decades between 1907 and 1947, differ sharply in stylistic orientation. Each work, too, has its own profile in terms of form and instrumental colour.
Joachim Dorfmüller


contents of volume 1

Jean Langlais (1907 – 1991)
Missa „in simplicitate“ (1952)
[1] Kyrie 3'29
[2] Gloria 4'41
[3] Credo 5'17
[4] Sanctus et Benedictus 3'04
[5] Agnus Dei 3'31

Wolfgang Stockmeier (born 1931)
Sonate III („Missa brevis“), op. 150 (1970)
[6] Kyrie
Oh, We Poor Sinners
4'21
[7] Gloria
Glory Only to God on High
5'48
[8] Credo
We All Believe in One God
4'40

Norbert Linke (born 1933)
Chorale Variations on the ancient ecclesiastical “Gloria in excelsis” (“Glory Only to God on High”) (1979)
[9] Majestically, calmly striding 1'19
[10] (Freely rubato) 1'10
[11] (Quasi recitativo) 2'53
[12] Allegretto  –  Allegro 1'37
[13] Very solemnly, misterioso 3'18
[14] Majestically, calmly striding (repeat) 1'20

Kjell Mørk Karlsen (born 1947)
Messe over norske folketoner („Missa norvegica“) (1979)
[15] Kyrie  –  Kyrie, Gud Fader af Himmerig
Kyrie, God the Father of Heaven
4'43
[16] Gloria  –  Aleneste Gud i Himmerig
Alleiniger God Alone in Heaven, Praise Be to You
3'37
[17] Agnus Dei  –  O Jesu, for din Pine
Oh Jesus, We Thank You for Your Suffering
2'57

Arvo Pärt (born 1935)
„Annum per annum“  —  Missa pro organo (1980)
Composed for the 900th anniversary of Speyer Cathedral
[18] Introduktion 0'58
[19] K  (Kyrie) 1'53
[20] G  (Gloria) 1'38
[21] C  (Credo) 1'56
[22] S  (Sanctus) 1'37
[23] A  (Agnus Dei) 2'14
[24] Coda 0'57

Ingeborg Hischer ............... mezzo-soprano
Joachim Dorfmüller ........................ organ

Recorded: October 2005 & Februar 2006, Lutherkirche Wuppertal, Germany · Recording, Engineering: sonox musikproduktiTon · Mastering: homas Sandmann, master orange music · Digital Recording · Total playing time: 69'43

SICUSKlassik   sic 006-2

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