Mozart, Mass in F major, KV 192, „Little Credo Mass“
Most of Mozart's church music was composed during his Salzburg period, including the "Little Credo Mass", which he composed on 24 June 1774 prior to his long journey to Mannheim and Paris.
The "Little Credo Mass" is of the "Missa brevis" type, i.e. it is a mass that was composed for Sundays and lower feast days and accordingly had to be limited in scope and design.
The mass was composed for the cathedral church of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, where church music naturally had a special representative role. Here, musical traditions that were no longer practised elsewhere were retained, such as supporting the three lower voices with alto, tenor and bass trombones. A similar practice of amplifying the singing voices with trombones can still be found in the Viennese court chapel at this time.
In the early masses like this one, Mozart was still oriented towards the old church style, which is distinguished from secular music in particular by its contrapuntal compositional style. At the same time, however, Mozart develops here the formal and thematic coherence typical of the masses of the classical period.
It owes its name "Credo Mass" to the special design of the Credo: "Credo, credo" - "I believe" - is repeatedly interspersed with a characteristic motif (f - g - b-flat - a), thereby reinforcing the effect of the word and at the same time adding a connecting element to the musical movement. This motif is also found at the beginning of the "Crucifixus" section - now, corresponding to the crucifixion, transposed into a minor key.
Dr.in Maria Helfgott
Translation: Godwin Gundacker
Conductor: Martin Schebesta
Organist: Elke Eckerstorfer
Choir: Vienna Boys Choir, Members of the Vienna State Opera men's choir, "Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle"
Orchestra: Members of the Vienna State Opera orchestra
Celebrant: Peter Schipka
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