Joseph Haydn

Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo Hob. XXII:7

There is hardly any reliable information about the origin of this mass, which was composed between 1773 and 1776. The title goes back to the founder of the Order of the Brothers of Mercy, St. John of God (1495–1550); but in the second half of the 19th century, the German nickname "Little Organ Mass" prevailed. This name is terminologically incorrect, perhaps even misleading: the correct term would be Organ Solo Mass, because the most outstanding feature of the composition is the concertante organ part, but there are also strings involved. It is possible that this organ solo was composed by Haydn and played himself in order to present himself with virtuosity on the occasion of his appointment as organist of the Eisenstadt Castle Church in 1773.

This material, which is based on the revised new edition published by G. Henle Verlag, replaces BA4653. The new edition was necessary because in the meantime other relevant sources had been discovered and numerous errors had to be corrected.