3/3 Missa Solemnis (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

The Missa Solemnis ("Solemn Mass") in D from 1823 was a work Beethoven himself hailed as his "greatest" - at least until the 9th Symphony came along. I'm not going to go much more into background - I have alot of typing ahead of me...it's epic and sublime should be heard live at least once in a lifetime, preferably in the 2nd row center seats.  Worth it at any price.

Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123 (1823)
Sir Colin Davis, LSO

0:00    I.   Kyrie

11:07   II.  Gloria

30:01   III. Credo

52:32   IV.  Sanctus / Benedictus

1:09:41 V.   Agnes Dei

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I...-Kyrie - Assai sostenuto (starting from 0:00)

Part I (MAROON): 1st theme: orchestra: D major

2nd theme: orchestra (solo clarinet): G major

3rd theme: orchestra

1st theme: chorus: “Kyrie" / 2nd theme: tenor solo: "Kyrie"

3rd theme: alto solo/chorus:"Kyrie eleison"

4th theme (variation of 3rd theme): chorus (in canon): “Eleison"

Part II (GREEN): andante assai ben marcato: solo quartet:“Christe": B minor

Chorus: "Christe"

Variation: chorus/solo quartet:"Christe"

Part I (return) (MAROON) : 1st theme:orchestra

1st theme (return): chorus/solo quartet: ”Kyrie"

5th theme: chorus: "Eleison"

1st theme (final variation):chorus

II...-Gloria - Allegro vivace (starting from 11:07)

Part I (BROWN): orchestra: 1st theme: D major

1st theme: chorus: “Gloria”

2nd theme: chorus: ”In Excelsis”

1st theme: chorus: "Gloria"

3rd theme: bass chorus: ”Et in terra"

1st theme (variation): chorus: ”Laudamus te"

4th theme: chorus:”Glorificamus": D major

4th theme (variation):chorus: ”Glorificamus": G major

Part II (GREEN): meno allegro: 1st theme: orchestra/chorus/solo:”Gratias"

1st theme (variation): chorus:"Gratias”

1st theme (variation of 1st theme, part I) (BROWN): ”Domine” E flat major

2nd theme: solo quartet:"Domine fili"

3rd theme: chorus: "Domine deus" F major

(Qui tollis - Larghetto, BLUE) Development: orchestra

1st theme: solo quartet: ”Qui tollis": F major

1st theme (answer): chorus:”Miserere", Soloists

1st theme (variation): chorus "Qui tollis": D major, Soloists

2nd theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Qui sedes": B flat major

3rd theme: solo quartet:“Miserere”

(Quoniam - Allegro maestoso, MAROON) Part I: 1st theme: orchestra

1st theme: chorus:"Quoniam": D major

2nd theme: chorus: “Cum sancto”

Part II: allegro ma non troppo:fugue, PURPLE: 1st theme: chorus:"In gloria”

1st theme (variation): solo quartet/chorus: ”In gloria"

1st theme (variation, condensed fugue): chorus:"In gloria"

Part III (GREEN): poco piu allegro: solo quartet: "Amen": D major

Part IV: presto (return of 1st theme from GLORIA) (BROWN):"Gloria"

III...-Credo I - Allegro ma non troppo (starting from 30:01)

1st theme: orchestra/chorus:"Credo": B flat major (BROWN)

1st theme (return): chorus:"Credo"

2nd theme: chorus: “Deum de deum”: G major

3rd theme: chorus:”Consubstantialem"

4th theme: chorus: "Qui propter nos homines"

5th theme: chorus:"Descendit"

(Et incarnatus est - Adagio, BLUE) 1st theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Et incarnatus"

2nd theme (development):andante: chorus/tenor solo:“Et homo"

3rd theme: adagio espressivo:solo quartet: "Crucifixus"

4th theme: quartet/chorus:"Passus": sequence of keys

5th theme (development):allegro: chorus: ”Et resurrexit"

6th theme: chorus: ”Et ascendit": C major

7th theme: chorus:"Judicare": sequence of keys

1st theme (variation): chorus:”Cuius regni"

(Credo II - Allegro ma non troppo, GREEN) Part I: 1st theme (variation of 1st theme, CREDO I): chorus:"Credo"

Part II: allegretto ma non troppo: 1st theme: chorus:“Et vitam"

Part III: allegro con moto: 1st theme (variation of part II):“Et vitam"

Part IV: grave: 1st theme:chorus/solo quartet: “Et vitam": B flat major

IV...-Sanctus/Benedictus (starting from 52:32)

(Sanctus - Adagio, BROWN) Part I: 1st theme: orchestra: Dmajor

1st theme: solo quartet:"Sanctus"

1st theme (return): solo quartet: “Sanctus”

Part II (OLIVE): allegro pesante: chorus: ”Pleni sunt”: D major

Part III (BLUE): presto: 1st theme:chorus: ”Osanna"

(Preludium/Benedictus - Sostenuto, PURPLE) Introduction: orchestra

Solo violin entrance

1st theme (MAROON): chorus bass/solo violin: ”Benedictus"

2nd theme: solo alto/bass (BLUE): "Benedictus”: G major

2nd theme: solo soprano/tenor: “Benedictus”

3rd theme (MAROON 2): chorus: ”In nomine"

2nd Theme (variation) (BLUE): solo quartet: "Benedictus"

3rd Theme (variation) (MAROON 2): chorus "In Nomine"

1st Theme (variation) (MAROON): solo quartet:"Qui venit"

4th theme (GREEN): chorus "Osanna" G major

V...-Agnus Dei - Adagio (starting from 1:09:41)

1st theme (MAROON): orchestra/bass solo: "Agnus dei": B minor

2nd theme (BROWN): orchestra/chorus: "Miserere"

1st theme (variation): alto/tenor solo: “Agnus"

2nd theme (variation): alto solo/chorus: "Miserere”

1st theme (variation): solo quartet: “Agnus"

2nd theme (variation):chorus/solo quartet:”Miserere"

(Dona nobis pacem - Allegretto vivace, BLUE) 1st theme: chorus: "Dona nobis": A major

2nd theme: chorus:”Pacem": D major

3rd Theme:chorus:"Dona nobis"

4th theme (variation of 3rd theme): chorus/soprano solo: "Dona"

(Agnus dei - Allegro assai, GREEN) Part I: Development: orchestra

Development (quasi-recitative): solo quartet:"Agnus dei"

1st theme (variation of 1st theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): quartet:"Dona nobis"

2nd theme (variation of 3rd theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): chorus:"Dona nobis"

3rd theme (variation of 4th theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM):chorus/solo quartet: “Dona nobis”

Part II (VIOLET): presto: orchestra: D Major

Development: chorus: ”Agnus"

1st theme: chorus/solo quartet: ”Dona nobis": B flat major

Part III (BROWN): 1st theme (variation of 1st theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM):quartet: "Dona"

2nd theme (variation):chorus: ”Dona nobis": D major

3rd theme: solo quartet:“Pacem"

4th theme: chorus: ”Pacem" D Major

5th theme (variation of 3rd theme, DONA NOBIS PACEM): chorus:"Dona nobis"

Breakdowns quoted directly from Alan Rich's book, Play by Play.  Usually I go through each section and "vet" each of Mr. Rich's sectional breakdowns, since I try to clarify things a bit more (at least for me) but for this one I frankly just did a straight copy.

For more, here's a superb website devoted to the Missa Solemnis :
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/BeethovenMissaSolemnis/missa_solemnis.html

Ah yeah - almost forgot to tack on one more >ahem< "rockified remix"...
Gloria:

2/24 Beethoven's Mass in C (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Beethoven's Mass in C from 1812 is not as popular as the monumental Missa Solemnis from 1823, but it's actually a big favorite with me. It was originally composed for Papa Haydn's old boss, but apparently Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II didn't clap loudly enough and our man B. stormed out in a fury... Frankly I find it's brazen modulations and fiery dynamics to be a kind of "punk-rock" cousin to the Missa...it's shorter and faster and the orchestration seems to me to be a bit leaner.

Mass in C for Solo, Chorus and Orchestra Op.86 (1812)
Sir Colin Davis with the LSO and Chorus
0:00 1. Kyrie
5:54 2. Gloria (Qui tollis – Quoniam)
16:34 3. Credo
29:00 4. Sanctus (Benedictus – Osanna)
40:36 5. Agnus Dei (Dona nobis pacem)
This work has so many sections that it might be hard to keep the video and the breakdowns all on the same page...may be best to get 2 computers side by side for this post ;)

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CHANNEL LINK: Click here to see this video on my YouTube Channel. Once there, click on "...(more info)" to scroll through the text description while the video stays in place.
 
I. (starting 0:00)
Kyrie - Andante con moto

1st Theme: chorus: "Kyrie": C Major (BROWN)

2nd Theme: soprano solo: "Kyrie" (GREEN)

2nd Theme: solo qrtt/chorus: "Kyrie" (GREEN)

3rd Theme: solo qrtt: "Christe" (BLUE)

(1st Theme variation (chorus: "Kyrie"): E Major  2:55) (BLUE)

2nd Theme (repr.): soprano solo: "Kyrie" (GREEN)

II. (starting 5:54)
Gloria - Allegro con brio (BLUE)

1st Theme: chorus: "Gloria" C Major

2nd Theme: chorus: "Bonae voluntatis" A minor

3rd Theme: tenor solo/chorus: "Gratias agimus" Bb Major

Qui Tollis - Andante mosso (GREEN)

1st Theme: alto solo/chorus: "Qui Tollis" F minor

1st Theme: solo qrtt: "Qui Tollis"

2nd Theme: chorus: "Qui sedes"

Quonium - Allegro ma non troppo

1st Theme: orchestra: C Major (BLUE)

1st Theme: chorus: "Quoniam" (BLUE)

2nd Theme: Fugue: chorus: "Cum Sancto" C Major (MAROON)

Text Painting: solo soprano/chorus: "Amen" (PURPLE)

III. (starting 16:34)
Credo - Allegro con brio
1st Theme: chorus: "Credo" C Major (MAROON)
2nd Theme: chorus: "Factorum" (sequence of keys) (BLUE)

1st Theme variation: chorus: "Et in unum" (MAROON)

3rd Theme: chorus: "Ante omnia" (BLUE)

4th Theme: chorus: "Deum de deo" Eb Major (BLUE)

5th Theme: chorus: "Consubstantialem" Eb Major (BLUE)

6th Theme: tenor/bass solo: "Qui propter nos homines" (BLUE)

Et incarnatus est - Adagio, Part 1 (VIOLET)

1st Theme: solo qrtt: "Et incarnatus" Eb Major

2nd Theme: chorus: "Crucifixus" Bb minor and sequence of keys

3rd Theme: solo qrtt: "Passus"

Part 2 - Allegro ma non troppo (PURPLE)

1st Theme: Bass solo/chorus" "Et ascendit" D Major

2nd Theme: chorus: "Sedet" C Major

3rd Theme: chorus: "Cujus regni" G Major

4th Theme: solo qrtt: "Et in spiritum"

5th Theme: chorus: "Qui locutus est" C Major

Part 3 - (DARK BLUE)

Fugue: chorus: "Et vitam" C Major

Fugue variation: alto solo: "Et vitam" A Major

IV. (starting 29:00)
Sanctus - Adagio

1st Theme: orchestra A Major (MAROON)

1st Theme: chorus: "Sanctus" (MAROON)

2nd Theme: allegro: chorus: "Pleni sunt coeli" D Major (MAROON 2)

3rd Theme: chorus: "Osanna in excelsis" (MAROON 3)

Benedictus - Allegretto ma non troppo (BLUE)

1st Theme: solo qrtt: "Benedictus" F Major

2nd Theme: solo qrtt: "Qui venit"

3rd Theme: quartet/chorus: "Benedictus" C Major

(4th Theme: solo qrtt: "Benedictus" F Major 35:25)

1st Theme variation: solo qrtt: "Benedictus" F Major

5th Theme (reprise of Sanctus 3rd Theme): chorus: "Osanna"

V. (starting 40:36)
Agnus Dei - Poco andante
1st Theme: chorus "Agnus dei" (OLIVE)
2nd Theme: chorus: "Miserere" (BLUE)

1st Theme variation: chorus: "Agnus dei" (OLIVE)

2nd Theme variation: chorus: "Miserere" (BLUE)

3rd Theme: solo qrtt: "Dona nobis" (BLUE)

4th Theme: chorus: "Miserere" (BLUE)

5th Theme: chorus: "Pacem" (BLUE)

(breakdowns from Alan Rich's book, Play by Play!!).

Recall when I mentioned this work being like "punk-rock"?  Welll.....