Sat 12 Jul
J. Haydn
Harmoniemesse
8:00pm | St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Listen to Joseph Haydn's Harmoniemesse, the last of his six great mass compositions and his last work ever, with which - alongside The Creation and The Seasons - his oeuvre came to a crowning conclusion. The concert is complemented by two short works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn's brother Michael.
The Harmoniemesse, first performed in 1802, is one of the six late masses that Haydn composed for Prince Nikolaus II Esterházy. The name ‘Harmoniemesse’ is not derived from a particular harmony, but from the prominent use of wind instruments (‘Harmoniemusik’), which develop a festive and sonorous character in combination with the choir and orchestra. The Harmoniemesse, characterised by the mastery of a mature Haydn, is both musically and emotionally of unmistakable richness.
Under the direction of János Czifra, the masterpiece will be performed as part of the Sing along! Choir Festival, choral singers from all over the world will work intensively on this masterpiece in rehearsals lasting several days. The crowning finale is the performance with renowned soloists and the Vienna Cathedral Orchestra in St Stephen's Cathedral, the place where Haydn himself sang for nine years as a chapel boy and later married his wife Aloysia.
Concert Details
Impressions
