Glagolitic Mass


The Glagolitic Mass is a composition for soloists, double chorus, organ and orchestra by Leoš Janáček. Janáček completed the work in 1926. It received its premiere by the Brno Arts Society, conducted by Jaroslav Kvapil, in Brno on 5 December 1927. Janáček revised the mass the next year. The first UK performance was given at the Norwich Festival on 23 October 1930, conducted by Henry Wood.
The Glagolitic alphabet was an early Slavic alphabet, the predecessor of the modern Cyrillic alphabet. In Croatia, the Catholic Church gave permission for the Roman Rite liturgical Mass to be celebrated in Old Church Slavonic at a time when such liturgies were typically only permitted to be in Latin, resulting in the Glagolitic Use Mass.

Background

The text is in Old Church Slavonic, with five vocal movements that correspond to the Catholic Ordinary of the Mass, omitting "Dona nobis pacem" in the Agnus Dei. The musical origins of the work can be traced to Janáček's Latin setting of the Kyrie, Agnus Dei, and Credo for organ and chorus. This was used as a dictation exercise by his composition students in 1908.
Janáček had extensive experience working with choirs, as well as writing a large amount of choral music. It begins and closes with triumphant fanfares dominated by the brass. In between these sections lies particularly vibrant and rhythmic writing for solo voices as well as choir. Curiously, the final movement is titled Intrada, which means entrance. Before this Intrada, Janáček introduces a dramatic organ solo of considerable originality – a moto perpetuo of wild energy. Janáček's Glagolitic Mass is considered an important work of the century and is frequently performed and recorded today.
Janáček was a strong supporter of pan-Slavism, and this mass has been viewed as a celebration of Slavic culture.
Different editions of the score exist, prepared by Paul Wingfield and by Jiři Zahrádka.

Structure

Its eight movements are:
  1. Úvod – Introduction
  2. Gospodi pomiluj – Kyrie
  3. Slava – Gloria
  4. Věruju – Credo
  5. Svet – Sanctus
  6. Agneče Božij – Agnus Dei
  7. Varhany sólo – Organ solo
  8. Intrada – Exodus
Although this version is considered the "standard" version performed today, research into Janáček's manuscripts suggests that the Intrada was intended to be played at the beginning of the work as well, creating a symmetric, nine-movement form with the Věruju at its center. In addition, several other sections of the work were revealed to have been simplified in meter and orchestration. Some of the movements are reworkings of Janáček's earlier compositions: the Svet, for instance, is derived from the Sanctus of the Mass in E-flat.

Orchestration

The mass is scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, double SATB choir, and an orchestra of 4 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, tam-tam, chimes, 2 harps, celesta, organ, and strings.

Recordings

Arrangements

  1. Arrangement suitable for: solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra
  2. * arrangement for: wind orchestra
  3. * arrangement by: Karel Bělohoubek
  4. * performed by: Czech Army Central Band, co Karel Bělohoubek
  5. Arrangement suitable for: solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra
  6. * arrangement for: wind orchestra
  7. * arrangement by: Josef Šebesta
  8. * performed by: Prague Castle Guard and Police Wind Orchestra, co Rudolf Rydval
  9. Arrangement suitable for: opera
  10. * arrangement for: fantasy from the opera for saloon orchestra
  11. * arrangement by: E. Bauer
  12. * performed by: Dolfi Dauber Saloon Orchestra, co Dolfi Dauber
  13. Arrangement suitable for: opera
  14. * arrangement for: orchestral suite from the opera
  15. * arrangement by: Peter Breiner
  16. * performed by: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, co Peter Breiner

In film

The Glagolitic Mass was used for the music in the 1954 film Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome by director Kenneth Anger.

Other composers

Other composers of a Glagolitic Mass include J. B. Foerster, František Zdeněk Skuherský, the Prague organist Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann, Karel Douša, and more recently Jan Křesadlo and Jan Hanuš. These Glagolitic Masses were mostly intended for liturgical use, prompted by the 1920 limited permission for the Roman Rite Mass to be celebrated in Church Slavonic once again in Bohemia and Moravia.