From the late 19th century Missa brevis (or French: "Messe brève") may refer to a Mass composition with any combination of the following characteristics: (1) short execution time, (2) limited forces for performance, (3) leaving out part of the
Mass ordinary and/or (4) the composition is incomplete so that the extant complete parts are seen as a Missa brevis. A Mass being short in this sense does however not exclude that sections based on texts outside the Mass ordinary are added to the composition (like the
O Salutaris Hostia in several of Gounod's Messes brèves).
19th century As concert performance of liturgical works outside a liturgical setting increased, for some of the composers the brevis/solemnis distinction is about the breves, which not always needed professional performers, being intended for actual liturgical use, while a Missa solemnis was rather seen as a concert piece for professional performers, that could be performed outside an actual Mass celebration, similar to how an oratorio would be staged. •
Charles Gounod: •
CG 63: ''Vokalmesse pour la fête de l'Annonciation'' in C minor (five voices a cappella, 1843) • CG 64: Mass No. 1 in A major (three voice parts and organ, 1844) • CG 65: Mass No. 2 in C major (no Credo, 1845 – publ. 1872), and later revision
Messe brève No. 5 en ut majeur à trois voix d'hommes, soli et choeurs (
Messe Brève aux séminaires – 1870, rev. & publ. 1892) • CG 66: Messe brève et salut pour 4 voix d'hommes in C minor, Op. 1 ( 1845, publ. 1846) • CG 67: Messe à 4 voix d'hommes No. 2 in C major (without Gloria, incomplete, c. 1845) • CG 68: Messe à 4 voix d'hommes No. 3 in A minor (without Gloria, only Kyrie extant, c. 1845) • CG 69: Messe à 5 voix libres in E minor (incomplete, c. 1848 – Kyrie published in 1878) • CG 70: Messe No. 1 à 3 voix d'hommes in C minor (
aux Orphéonistes, 1853) • CG 71:
Messe brève No. 2 pour choeur d'hommes in G major (
Messe pour les sociétés chorales, 1862), and its later revisions: Messe No. 3 à trois voix égales (
Messe aux communautés religieuses, c. 1882, publ. 1891) and pour solistes choeur et orgue (1890, publ. 1893) • CG 72:
Messe brève No. 4 à deux voix égales (''
Messe à la Congrégation des dames auxiliatrice de l'Immaculée-Conception, no Credo – 1876), revision as Messe brève No. 7 aux chapelles'' (1890, publ. 1893) • CG 73:
Messe des anges gardiens in C major (SATB soloists and choir, 1872) • CG 74: ''Messe à la mémoire de Jeanne d'Arc libératrice et martyre'' in F major (no Credo 1886–1887) • CG 78 and 79: Messe brève pour les morts en fa majeur (Introit/Kyrie – Sanctus – Pie Jesu – Agnus Dei, 1871 – publ. 1873), and a later reworking (1875) • CG 147b: Messe funèbre in F major (Kyrie – Sanctus – Pie Jesu – Agnus Dei, 1865 – publ. 1883) is a
parody by Jules Dormois of Gounod's
Les Sept paroles de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ sur la croix 20th century •
Richard Rodney Bennett: Missa Brevis (1990) •
Lennox Berkeley: Missa Brevis, Op. 57 (1960) • Leonard Bernstein:
Missa Brevis (1989 – without Credo) • Benjamin Britten:
Missa Brevis (1959 – without Credo) •
Lorenzo Ferrero: Missa Brevis, for five voices and two synthesizers (1975) •
Vivian Fine: Missa Brevis for Four Cellos and Taped Voice (1972) • : for three-part mixed choir •
Zoltán Kodály: Missa Brevis for soloists, chorus and organ (1942, 1948) •
Lowell Liebermann: Missa Brevis, Op. 15 (1985) •
Frank Martin •
Vytautas Miškinis: Missa Brevis "Pro pace" • Knut Nystedt:
Missa brevis, Op. 102 (1984) •
Stephen Paulus •
Brian Ferneyhough: Missa Brevis (1969) •
William Walton: Missa brevis, for double mixed chorus and organ (1966) •
Christopher Wood: Missa Brevis, for choir and organ •
Philip Stopford: Keble Missa Brevis, for the choir and organ of Keble College, Oxford (1997)
21st century • Carlotta Ferrari: Missa brevis canonica (2017), Missa brevis cantilena (2017), Missa brevis gregoriana (2017), Missa brevis per baritono e organo (2017), Missa brevis minima (2023) •
Andrew Ford: Missa Brevis for SATB choir and organ (2015) •
Douglas Knehans: Missa Brevis for SATB and organ (2010) •
Arvo Pärt: for eight cellos (Kyrie – Sanctus – Agnus Dei, 2009–2010) •
Krzysztof Penderecki: Missa brevis for chorus a capella (2013) •
Gerhard Präsent:
Missa minima (2001) ==References==