Beethoven described his Missa solemnis as his greatest work several times, a work which, coming "from the heart," was to touch and move audiences. The surviving sources enable us to recognize how intensively and how long he worked on the composition in order to give what he felt was adequate expression to the text. In its length and musical demands, the Missa solemnis goes far beyond typical liturgical settings, and the premiere took place, for good reason, in a concert hall. The chorus plays a key structural role in the work, and in the process has to master some extremely demanding sections.
Beethoven expert Ernst Herttrich has produced an Urtext edition based on the available sources, and reflecting the latest state of scholarship.
Thanks to an arrangement by J. Linckelmann (Carus 40.689/50), it is possible to perform the work in smaller settings.
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, english translationhtml file, singing text, english translation (Sample)Kyrie Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.Gloria Glory be to God on high
and on earth peace to men of good will.
We praise Thee; we bless Thee; we adore Thee; we glorify Thee.
We give Thee thanks for Thy great glory.
Lord God, heavenly King,
God the almighty Father.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Thou who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou alone art the Holy One,
Thou alone art the Lord, Thou alone art the Most High, Jesus Christ.
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, german translationhtml file, singing text, german translation (Sample)
Kyrie Herr, erbarme dich.
Christus, erbarme dich.
Herr, erbarme dich.Gloria Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe
und Friede auf Erden
den Menschen seiner Gnade.
Wir loben dich,
wir preisen dich,
wir beten dich an,
wir rühmen dich
und danken dir, denn groß ist deine Herrlichkeit:
Herr und Gott, König des Himmels,
Gott und Vater, Herrscher über das All,
Herr, eingeborener Sohn, Jesus Christus.
Herr und Gott, Lamm Gottes, Sohn des Vaters,
du nimmst hinweg die Sünde der Welt:
erbarme dich unser;
du nimmst hinweg die Sünde der Welt:
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, singing text, originalhtml file, singing text, original (Sample)
Kyrie Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.Gloria Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, Introductory text, englishhtml file, Introductory text, english (Sample)Abridged text of the CD Carus 83.501
Ernst Herttrich
Translation: Elizabeth RobinsonAlthough Beethoven was a deeply religious person who was much preoccupied with theologicalphilosophical matters, he composed only a few sacred works. One of these is his Missa solemnis, which is generally regarded as a major work of Catholic church music. During the four years he took to complete it, it developed into a monumental work which goes far beyond liturgical boundaries. It is no coincidence that the premiere took place on 26 March 1824 in the old Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg and the work was described in the program leaflet there as an oratorio. However, the Missa solemnis had originally been planned as an entirely liturgical composition, namely as a festive mass for the enthronement of Beethoven’s great patron Archduke Rudolph as Archbishop of Olmütz (Olomouc) on 9 March 1820.
Nevertheless, too much significance should not be attached to this particular occasion. Beethoven, who was above all concerned with the further development of his art, went about his work as a composer far too consciously to simply have composed such a mass merely because his patron was elected archbishop. He was attracted to tackling
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Digital text (without sheet music) incl. printing licence, html file, Introductory text, germanhtml file, Introductory text, german (Sample)Gekürzter Booklet-Text der CD Carus 83.501
Ernst Herttrich
Obwohl Beethoven ein tiefreligiöser Mensch war, der sich viel und intensiv mit theologisch-philosophischen Themen beschäftigte, komponierte er nur wenige geistliche Werke – zwei Messen (neben der Missa solemnis noch die C-Dur-Messe op. 86) und ein geistliches Oratorium (Christus am Ölberge, op. 85), dazu noch einige kleinere Chorkompositionen sowie mehrere Lieder mit religiösen Texten. Das lag sicher auch daran, dass sich Kunst und Religion seit der Aufklärung auseinanderentwickelt hatten, dass Kunst oft selbst einen stark religiösen Aspekt annehmen konnte.
Weder die Messe op. 86 noch das Oratorium op. 85 werden heute zu Beethovens bedeutenderen Werken gezählt. Ganz anders die Missa solemnis, die allgemein als ein Hauptwerk der katholischen Kirchenmusik angesehen wird, obwohl sie in den vier Jahren, die Beethoven zur Fertigstellung benötigte, zu einem monumentalen Werk geriet, das die Grenzen der Liturgie sprengt. Nicht von ungefähr fand die Uraufführung im alten Philharmonischen Saal in St. Petersburg statt und das Werk wurde dort im Programmzettel als Oratorium bezeichnet. Geplant war die Missa
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