Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809): Mass no. 14 in B flat major 'Harmoniemesse' (Wind Band Mass) H22/14
Kyrie Gloria Credo
Sanctus Benedictus Agnus Dei
In the early 1790s Haydn achieved both critical and popular acclaim in London with his symphonies and instrumental works. On returning to Austria he shifted his focus to sacred vocal music, composing six masses and two oratorios. Much of Haydn's career was spent serving the Esterházy family, and by the time he reached seventy he was regarded as the greatest living composer, holding what was essentially an emeritus position. He enjoyed dining with Prince Esterházy and was required to compose only one mass per year to mark the name day of Princess Maria Hermenegild, wife of Prince Nicolaus II Esterházy.
Though composing a major choral work each year proved taxing for a man who considered himself old and in declining health, the six late masses Haydn completed between 1796 and 1802 remain among the most cherished and highly regarded pieces in the choral repertoire.
This work had its premiere on September 8, 1802, during a mass honoring Princess Maria Hermenegild on her name day. After the service, guests gathered at the Esterházy palace for an extravagant celebratory dinner. According to the story, a series of toasts, including one in honor of Haydn, was accompanied by the sounds of trumpets and drums in the gallery and cannons firing outside. The Harmoniemesse, named for its notably large wind section (or "Harmonie"), is Haydn’s sixth and final late mass, and arguably the finest. By 1802, the Esterházy court's orchestra was at its largest, and the Harmoniemesse is written for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, drums, strings and organ.
Like three of the other masses, the Harmoniemesse is set in the key of B flat, which suits the vocal ranges and is ideal for the trumpets and clarinets, recent additions to the orchestra. Though it has always been held in high regard by musicians, it has never achieved the same level of widespread popularity as his two renowned oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, which were composed at around the same time.
The work is written on a grand scale. While much of the music features the extroverted, joyful style typical of Haydn—who once apologized for the exuberant nature of his masses by explaining that his heart leapt with joy at the thought of God, and his music followed suit—there are also moments of serene reflection, such as the expansive Kyrie or the almost Mozartian opening of the Agnus Dei. As with many of his longer movements, Haydn divides sections into contrasting themes. The Gloria begins with a stirring opening, followed by a central section with tender, lyrical passages for the four soloists. A faster tempo returns for the Quoniam tu solus sanctus, ending with an energetic fugue.
The Credo follows a similar fast-slow-fast pattern, with a final fugue. Here, many phrases are highlighted by sudden shifts in dynamics. The slow Et incarnatus section in E flat concludes with a mysterious solo passage, leading into the choir’s burst of Et resurrexit. The brass and drums are reserved until the line judicare vivos et mortuos, emphasizing the concept of judgment. After a jubilant Benedictus in F major, the Agnus Dei begins reflectively in G major, only for the brass to enter abruptly, creating a fanfare before settling back into the tonic key of B flat. The work concludes not with a gentle plea for peace, but with a joyous outburst.
The Harmoniemesse displays an extraordinary range of stylistic elements, blending fugues reminiscent of the Baroque with music rooted in the Enlightenment and anticipatory of early Romanticism—all seamlessly integrated through Haydn's unique musical voice. Emotionally, the work ends on a triumphant note, yet it traverses a wide emotional spectrum, beginning with what Haydn scholar H. C. Robbins Landon describes as "an enormous slow movement, a surging Poco adagio rolling on like a mighty river. Here is an entirely new kind of Kyrie—mystical, slow-paced, exalted, yet also filled with nostalgia. This is the true Spätstil (late style), a genuine farewell to music."
