Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809): „Missa in Tempore belli“ – Paukenmesse (Hob. XXII Nr. 9)

The ‘Missa in Tempore belli’ (‘Mass in Time of War’), as Haydn entitled it, was composed in 1796 at a time of imminent threat of war: Napoleon had been successful with the French troops in northern Italy and further advances were feared.

Haydn composed the Mass at a time in his life when he had already achieved great fame in England and, musically significant, after he had fully developed his instrumental style in his London symphonies, among other works, and formed the formal structure of the symphonies. Formal ideas from the symphonies can also be found in the six large late masses, of which this is the first: the slow introduction of the Kyrie, but also the structure of individual movements, which is often derived from a single theme and is followed by a kind of recapitulation after a contrasting middle section.

The imminent threat of war and the resulting fear is reflected in the numerous cloudy moments in the mass, as early as the sombre beginning of the Kyrie, as well as in the strikingly withdrawn ‘et in terra pax hominibus’ (‘and on earth peace to men’) of the Gloria and the aria-like ‘Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis’ (‘Thou who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us’), in which a bass solo is juxtaposed with a solo cello.

Finally, in the ‘Agnus Dei’, the timpani appears in an unusual, almost harrowing solo role to the pleading ‘misere nobis’ (‘have mercy on us’), with Haydn adding urgent trumpet sounds in between. The triumphant conclusion (‘Dona nobis pacem’ - ‘Give us peace’) is repeatedly clouded.

The mass was later given the name ‘Timpani Mass’, probably because of the special use of this instrument.

Dr.ⁱⁿ Maria Helfgott
Translation: Godwin Gundacker

Conductor: Jordi Casals
Organist: Robert Kovács
Choir: Vienna Boys Choir, Vienna State Opera men's choir, "Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle"
Orchestra: Members of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra

Celebrant: Peter Schipka

Duration: approx. 95 min (09:15-10:50)

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