Glagolská mše
by Leoš Janáček
Relief of the composer
EnglishGlagolitic Mass
Other name
  • Missa Glagolitica
  • Slavonic Mass
TextMass
LanguageOld Church Slavonic
Performed5 December 1927 (1927-12-05): Brno
Movements8
Vocal
  • SATB double choir and soloists
  • soprano, alto and baritone soloists
Instrumental
  • Organ
  • orchestra

The Glagolitic Mass (Czech: Glagolská mše, Church Slavonic: Mša glagolskaja; also called Missa Glagolitica or Slavonic Mass) is a composition for soloists (soprano, contralto, tenor, bass), double chorus, organ and orchestra by Leoš Janáček. The work was completed on 15 October 1926 and premiered by the Brno Arts Society, conducted by Jaroslav Kvapil, in Brno on 5 December 1927. Janáček revised the mass the next year.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3]

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.[4] 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,[5] and this mass has been viewed as a celebration of Slavic culture.[4]

Structure

Its eight movements are:

  1. Úvod – Introduction (orchestra)
  2. Gospodi pomiluj – Kyrie
  3. Slava – Gloria
  4. Věruju – Credo
  5. Svet – Sanctus
  6. Agneče Božij – Agnus Dei
  7. Varhany sólo (Postludium) – Organ solo
  8. Intrada – Exodus (literally, entrance)

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 composer's own 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 (2–4 doubling piccolos), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 3 clarinets (3rd doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, tam-tam, chimes, 2 harps, celesta, organ, and strings (1st & 2nd violins, violas, cellos, and double basses).

Recordings

Arrangements

  1. Arrangement suitable for: solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra
    • arrangement for: wind orchestra
    • arrangement by: Karel Bělohoubek
    • performed by: Czech Army Central Band, co Karel Bělohoubek
  2. Arrangement suitable for: solo soprano, alto, tenor and bass, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra
    • arrangement for: wind orchestra
    • arrangement by: Josef Šebesta
    • performed by: Prague Castle Guard and Police Wind Orchestra, co Rudolf Rydval
  3. Arrangement suitable for: opera
    • arrangement for: fantasy from the opera for saloon orchestra
    • arrangement by: E. Bauer
    • performed by: Dolfi Dauber Saloon Orchestra, co Dolfi Dauber
  4. Arrangement suitable for: opera
    • arrangement for: orchestral suite from the opera
    • arrangement by: Peter Breiner
    • 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.[10]

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.[11]

The Glagolitic Mass composed by Leoš Janáček, an atheist,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18] is seen by some as an expression of his pan-Slavist sympathies.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Dr. Theodora Straková, editing board of Critical Edition of the Complete Works of Janáček, Supraphon, Prague, 1992. Mša glagolskaja (Glagolitic Mass), details
  2. ↑ Attwater, Donald (1945). Eastern Catholic Worship. New York City: Devin-Adair Company. p. 209.
  3. ↑ Paul Wingfield: Janáček: Glagolitic Mass (Cambridge Music Handbooks), 1992. ISBN 978-0-521-38901-3
  4. 1 2 Steinberg, Michael (2008). Choral masterworks: a listener's guide. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. p. 193. ISBN 9780195340662. OCLC 690249284.
  5. ↑ "Radio Prague – The Glagolitic Mass, a celebration of Slavic culture". Retrieved 2017-06-10.
  6. 1 2 3 [Decca Classical 1929-2009 by Philip Stuart]
  7. ↑ Glagolitic Mass (Musical CD, 1985). [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 14941206.
  8. ↑ Glagolitische Messe Taras Bulba (Musical CD, 1991). [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 35089844.
  9. ↑ Glagolitic mass Taras Bulba (Musical CD, 1991). [WorldCat.org]. OCLC 30692935.
  10. ↑ Weinel, Jonathan (2018). Inner Sound: Altered States of Consciousness in Electronic Music and Audio-Visual Media. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 136. ISBN 978-0190671211.
  11. ↑ Reban, Karel (1920). "Lidový a staroslovanský jazyk v liturgii". Časopis katolického duchovenstva (5+6): 174–176. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Webmaster (2015-01-06). "Leos Janáček (1854-1928)". Mahler Foundation. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  13. ↑ "Leos Janacek | Czech-American TV". 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  14. ↑ "Mass in E flat (Janáček) - from CDA67147 - Hyperion Records - MP3 and Lossless downloads". www.hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  15. ↑ lebrecht, norman (2019-04-19). "Do atheists write the best sacred music?". Slippedisc. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  16. ↑ Dunn, Bill. "Leoš Janáček - Freedom From Religion Foundation". ffrf.org. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  17. ↑ "Janacek: Glagolitic Mass". British Czech and Slovak Association. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  18. ↑ "Amazing Glagolitic Mass". PRSO (in Czech). 2014-10-09. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  19. ↑ "Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov: Glagolitic Mass | Barbican". www.barbican.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
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