An ecumenical look at the Roman Catholic mass and the liturgical tradition in Western music

While many Western classical works were written out of pure religious fervor--inspiration in the most real sense of the word--a great number of large works were composed for particular occasions, such as a coronation, a church holiday, etc. This series offers an introduction to several such works, Haydn's final masses, including the famous Theresienmesse ("Theresa Mass") and "Lord Nelson" Mass. The Theresienmesse was rumored to have been composed for the Empress Marie-Theresa (thus the nickname), but in fact Haydn's lifelong employers had requested that he compose a yearly Mass for the name day of Princess Marie Hermenegild Esterhàzy. Participants will be introduced to the structure of the mass within the music, and how Haydn's compositional gift allowed the music to transcend mere form and become something universally uplifting.