The writing displays Beethoven's characteristic disregard for the performer; this writing is in several places both technically and physically exacting, with sudden changes of dynamic, metre and tempo. This approach is consistent throughout, starting with the opening Kyrie, where the syllables
Ky-ri are delivered either
forte or with
sforzando, but the final
e is piano. As noted below, the reprise of the
Et vitam venturi fugue is particularly taxing, being both subtly different from previous statements of the theme and counter-theme, and delivered at approximately twice the speed. The orchestral parts also include many demanding sections, including the violin solo in the
Sanctus and some of the most demanding work in the repertoire for
bassoon and
contrabassoon. The difficulty of the piece—together with the requirements for a full orchestra, large chorus, and highly trained soloists (both vocal and instrumental)—causes it to be rarely performed by amateur or semi-professional ensembles.
Kyrie Perhaps the most traditional movement, the Kyrie has a traditional ABA′ structure. The grand opening, with a motif of three D-major chords, contrasts sharply with the fourth pianissimo response: (GOD/man) followed by quiet, stately, choral writing in the first section and more
contrapuntal vocal textures in the Christe section. The four (SATB) vocal soloists and chorus share the thematic material throughout dialoguing in
antiphony, the soloists particularly in the Christe Eleison section. The Kyrie is closed by a
plagal-tending coda. disintegrates into three frustrated attempts at contrapuntal order that lead to two codas; The Credo, like the Gloria, is an often disorienting, hectic rush through the text. The "Et incarnatus" is a
hymn-
aria embedded in archaic and austere
Dorian polyphony, which is filled with paradisal
trills. The poignant
modal harmonies of the "Et incarnatus" yield to increasingly expressive heights through the Crucifixus, and then into a remarkable
a cappella setting of the "Et resurrexit". Most notable about the movement is the closing double fugue on "Et vitam venturi saeculi", which includes one of the most difficult passages in the choral repertoire, when the subject returns at doubled tempo for a stirring conclusion.
Sanctus Until the Benedictus of the Sanctus, the Missa solemnis has fairly typical classical proportions. But after an orchestral
preludio, a solo violin enters in its highest range—representing the
Holy Spirit descending to earth in a remarkably long extension of the text. This music is markedly slow, close-textured and chromatic, recalling the improvised pieces for organ created specifically for the
Elevation of the Host rite by composers such as
Girolamo Frescobaldi or the
French organ school members.
Agnus Dei The movement begins with a setting of the plea "miserere nobis" ("have mercy on us") in B minor for male voices only; this section eventually yields to a bright D-major prayer, "dona nobis pacem" ("grant us peace"), in pastoral mode. After fugal development, the movement is dramatically interrupted by martial sounds; such interruption was a convention in the 18th century, e.g., in Haydn's
Missa in tempore belli. However, after repeated pleas of "miserere", the movement eventually recovers equilibrium and draws to a conclusion. == Critical reception ==