Masses for Small Instrumental Ensembles

A Mass setting by a young Viennese composer. Marianna von Martines composed her Seconda Messa in 1760, at the age of 16. Written in the galant style, this short work lasts about half an hour. Even with a small ensemble it can be performed to great effect.

Venetian composer Antonio Caldara served as vice-Kapellmeister at the Imperial Court in Vienna. He left behind a rich body of sacred and secular vocal music. The Missa in G is the shortest of the six masses in his collection Sex Missae / Selectissimae. Scored for a small instrumental ensemble of two violins and basso continuo, it’s an appealing work for both smaller and larger choirs.

Due to its expressive cantabile style, its ease of performance, and its modest instrumentation (two violins, viola, basso continuo, plus bassoon and trombones ad libitum), Antonio Caldara’s Missa dolorosa is suitable for concert performances and liturgical services.

The Austrian Baroque composer’s Missa in C, which lasts just under 50 minutes, makes a strong impression with its compact but festive scoring, featuring four trumpets, timpani, two violins and basso continuo. 

Giacomo Carissimi’s Missa concertata is a true rarity, a testament to the Italian master’s fame among his European contemporaries. It’s written in concertante style with a basso continuo accompaniment, and the vocal parts for two tenors or sopranos plus bass can be performed either by soloists or by a choir. 

From a fughetta in the Kyrie, through the Gloria – characterized by fourths and featuring a dialogue between soloist and choir – to the rhythmically striking passages in the Sanctus, Schürch’s versatile Missa brevis offers everything a capable choir could wish for.

Okay, so maybe this one calls for a slightly larger ensemble! Bach revised Gasparini’s Mass with an eye to certain aspects of performance practice at the time. Furthermore, this Mass can be seen as a practical model for the highly developed art of canon and strict polyphony which is so evident in Bach’s late work.

This Missa solemnis follows the type of Neapolitan “cantata mass” in stile misto – the mixed style which was not common in Salzburg at the time – in which polyphonic choral movements alternate with solo parts of a concertante or arioso character. Despite the small ensemble, this is a very festive Mass, of moderate difficulty.

The finest sacred Baroque music par excellence: this small-scale Mass (two violins and basso continuo) is a real find, even for smaller choirs. Just give it a listen!

Johann Ernst Eberlin had a lasting influence not only on Salzburg’s musical life, but also on sacred music throughout the southern German region. His music was prized “for the lightness and agility with which he composed.” In his own masses even Mozart drew inspiration from Eberlin’s compositional style. Eberlin’s Missa brevis in A is scored simply for soloists, a four-part choir, and the Salzburg church instrumental trio of two violins and basso continuo. The addition of three trombones is also specified for performances in Salzburg Cathedral.

In the Missa in A, composed around 1765, Leopold Mozart blends Baroque and galant stylistic elements in a manner typical of the time. Like Eberlin, he employs the reduced Salzburg instrumentation of two violins and basso continuo, along with three trombones.

Richter composed his Missa in A, nicknamed Hyemalis (“Winter Mass”) while serving as Kapellmeister at Strasbourg Cathedral. The instrumentation is exceptionally beautiful – the two flutes, two horns, two violins, viola and basso continuo create a rich and festive sound. 

The four-part choir in Telemann’s Missa brevis is accompanied by basso continuo which  can be enhanced by additional instruments; solo organ accompaniment is also possible. Telemann restricts himself to the Kyrie and Gloria sections of the Ordinary. The appendix contains a four-part setting by Telemann of Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (All Glory be to God on High), for use in conjunction with the Mass. This was originally intended for choir and instruments, but it can also serve as an organ accompaniment for unison singing.

Together with his Marian Vespers, Monteverdi’s six-part Missa in illo tempore forms the collection of sacred music that was printed in Venice in 1610 and dedicated to Pope Paul V. It is deliberately composed in the stile antico. The Mass can be performed either a cappella or with basso continuo. A wonderful challenge for choirs!

A particularly beautiful Mass without significant technical difficulties, Rheinberger’s Mass in A for women’s choirs can be performed with either orchestral or organ accompaniment. The organ version serves as a tonal foundation, expanding the three-part vocal texture to four-part harmony.