A rather delightful Kyrie and Agnus Dei

[gwyn]

Fraternal greetings,
I wonder does anyone recognise the Mass setting from which the Kyrie (commencing at 5:48) and the Agnus Dei (commencing at 53:37) are taken?
http://www.ktotv.com/video/00231861/mes ... illet-2018
Quite delicious.
Thanks everyone,
Gwyn.

[keitha]

I think they are from Messe à 2 voix by Alexandr Gretchaninov, who straddled the late 19th and first half of the 20th Century. He wrote all sorts of music, and his liturgical music was written mainly for the Russian Orthodox Church. He left Russia after the Revolution, went to France and then settled in New York, where he died in in the 1950's. The setting is one of several that can easily be sung by a small group of singers from the Notre Dame choir which is wheeled out most Sunday evenings, including, from time to time, the Byrd 4-part Mass. They tend only to sing the Kyrie and Agnus, with plainchant (usually De Angelis plus Credo III for the rest). Then there are the improvisations on the Grande Orgue.....!

I know that some of Gretchaninov's music is available as free scores on the internet - may be worth a bit of a browse?

[gwyn]

Thanks Keitha. That's very useful info.

[alan29]

Should a Kyrie ever be delightful?
Discuss.

[JW]

Should a Kyrie ever be delightful?
Discuss.

Why not? We are asking for mercy but hoping in the promise that our prayers will be answered! We're not supposed to be miserable when fasting, so why should we always be miserable when asking for mercy? On the other hand, try convincing Mozart of that when he was writing the Kyrie of his Requiem while close to death!

[alan29]

Was it Haydn who said the though of God always made him cheerful?

[Peter]

Was it Haydn who said the thought of God always made him cheerful?

He may well have said it, but I gather that his reply to criticism of the style of his Masses was that he preferred to praise God with a cheerful voice. Maybe that's the quote you're thinking of, Alan? Either way, it's a good principle and one I try to follow in my settings.

[alan29]

Good principle.

[organist]

Love Haydn always make me smile!