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Works

Berliner Messe

1991 / 2002

Scored for

mixed choir (SATB) and string orchestra

Duration

25 min

Short description

Berliner Messe was composed for the 90th German Catholics Days in Berlin in May 1990 – the first held following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Initially composed for soloists (SATB) and organ, the piece was premiered at a service in Hedwig’s Cathedral by the Theatre of Voices ensemble conducted by Paul Hillier. The other version of the piece, for mixed choir or soloists (SATB) and string orchestra, was premiered in December 1991 in Erlangen, Germany by Süddeutsches Vokalensemble and Schloss Werneck Chamber Orchestra conducted by Rolf Beck.

Today, mass compositions are mainly performed as concert pieces. Berliner Messe also has its fixed place in concert repertoire, but in its form and structure, the work can be also used as part of traditional Catholic liturgy.…

Berliner Messe was composed for the 90th German Catholics Days in Berlin in May 1990 – the first held following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Initially composed for soloists (SATB) and organ, the piece was premiered at a service in Hedwig’s Cathedral by the Theatre of Voices ensemble conducted by Paul Hillier. The other version of the piece, for mixed choir or soloists (SATB) and string orchestra, was premiered in December 1991 in Erlangen, Germany by Süddeutsches Vokalensemble and Schloss Werneck Chamber Orchestra conducted by Rolf Beck.

Today, mass compositions are mainly performed as concert pieces. Berliner Messe also has its fixed place in concert repertoire, but in its form and structure, the work can be also used as part of traditional Catholic liturgy. Optional parts for certain holidays are added to the ordinary parts of the Mass (KyrieGloria, CredoSanctusAgnus Dei). Between Gloria and Credo there are two Hallelujah parts for Christmas and two more for Pentecost, as well as the Pentecost sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus. The sounds in the composition are strictly structured accounting for the number of syllables, emphasis and other parameters of the text. “Each step is derived from the text. Hence, this is not a result of a so-called inspiration, but something more objective,” the composer has said about his piece. To the smallest of details, the musical structure is subordinated to the formulae of the tintinnabuli technique.

The Credo of the Berliner Messe can be performed separately from the Ordinary. Missa brevis, composed in 2009 for twelve cellos, has borrowed the music of its first movement (Kyrie) and third movement (Agnus Dei) from the respective parts in Berliner Messe.

World premiere

18.12.1991
St. Mark's Church, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany

Concert: 3. Konzert - Begegnung

Süddeutsches Vokalensemble , Kammerorchester Schloss Werneck , Rolf Beck (conductor), Ulf Klausenitzer (concertmaster)

Parts

  • Kyrie
  • Gloria
  • Erster Alleluiavers zum Weihnachtsfest (ad lib.)
  • Zweiter Alleluiavers zum Weihnachtsfest (ad lib.)
  • Erster Alleluiavers zum Pfingstfest (ad lib.)
  • Zweiter Alleluiavers zum Pfingstfest (ad lib.)
  • Veni Sancte Spiritus (ad lib.)
  • Credo
  • Sanctus
  • Agnus Dei

Completion year

1991

Revision year

2002

Original version

1990

Scored for

mixed choir (SATB) and string orchestra

Duration

25 min

Publishers

Universal Edition

Language

Latin

Vocal text

Ordinary of the Mass, Alleluia verses, sequence “Come, Holy Spirit”

KYRIE
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

GLORIA
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te,
benedicimus te,
adoramus te,
glorificamus te,
gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam,
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe;
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis;
qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris,
miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus,
tu solus Dominus,
tu solus Altissimus,
Iesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spiritu,
in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.

ERSTER ALLELUIAVERS (ZUM WEIHNACHTSFEST)
Alleluia. Allel…
Ordinary of the Mass, Alleluia verses, sequence “Come, Holy Spirit”

KYRIE
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

GLORIA
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te,
benedicimus te,
adoramus te,
glorificamus te,
gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam,
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe;
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis;
qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris,
miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus,
tu solus Dominus,
tu solus Altissimus,
Iesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spiritu,
in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.

ERSTER ALLELUIAVERS (ZUM WEIHNACHTSFEST)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu;
ego hodie genui te.
Alleluia.

ZWEITER ALLELUIAVERS (ZUM WEIHNACHTSFEST)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis:
venite gentes, et adorate Dominum:
quia hodie descendit lux magna
super terram.
Alleluia.

ERSTER ALLELUIAVERS (ZUM PFINGSTFEST)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur:
et renovabis faciem terrae.
Alleluia.

ZWEITER ALLELUIAVERS (ZUM PFINGSTFEST)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Veni Sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium:
et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.
Alleluia.

VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS
Veni, Sancte Spiritus,
et emitte caelitus
lucis tuae radium.

Veni, pater pauperum,
veni, dator munerum,
veni, lumen cordium.

Consolator optime,
dulcis hospes anime,
dulce refrigerium.

In labore requies,
in aestu temperies,
in fletu solatium.

O lux beatissima,
reple cordis intima
tuorum fidelium.

Sine tuo numine
nihil est in homine,
nihil est innoxium.

Lava, quod est sordidum,
riga, quod est arium,
sana, quod est saucium.

Flecte, quod est rigidum,
fove, quod est frigidum,
rege, quod est devium.

Da tuis fidelibus,
in te confidentibus,
sacrum septenarium.

Da virtutis meritum,
da salutis exitum,
da perenne gaudium.
Amen. Alleluia.

CREDO
Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipotentem,
factorem caeli et terrae,
visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum,
et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula,
Deum de Deo,
lumen de lumine,
Deum verum de Deo vero,
genitum, non factum,
consubstantialem Patri:
per quem omnia facta sunt.
Qui propter nos homines
et propter nostram salutem
descendit de caelis.
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine:
et homo factus est.
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis
sub Pontio Pilato
passus et sepultus est.
Et resurrexit tertia die,
secundum Scripturas.
Et ascendit in caelum,
sedet ad dexteram Patris.
Et iterum venturus est cum gloria,
iudicare vivos et mortuos,
cuius regni non erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum,
Dominum et vivificantem:
qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.
Qui cum Patre et Filio
simul adoratur et conglorificatur:
qui locutus est per Prophetas.
Et unam sanctam
catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Confiteor unum baptisma
in remissionem peccatorum.
Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum,
et vitam venturi saeculi.
Amen.

SANCTUS
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis

AGNUS DEI
Agnus Dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi:
miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi:
miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi:
dona nobis pacem.


KYRIE
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

FIRST ALLELUIA (FOR CHRISTMAS)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Lord hath said unto me: Thou art my Son;
this day have I begotten thee.
Alleluia.

SECOND ALLELUIA (FOR CHRISTMAS)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
A sanctified day has shone upon us:
come ye Gentiles and adore the Lord:
for this day a great light hath descended
upon the earth.
Alleluia.

FIRST ALLELUIA (FOR PENTECOST)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created,
and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Alleluia.

SECOND ALLELUIA (FOR PENTECOST)
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful:
and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.
Alleluia.

COME, HOLY SPIRIT, COME
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend:

Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia.

CREDO
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men
and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism
for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

SANCTUS
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

AGNUS DEI
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.

Translations from the Roman Missal, Third Edition and
the Catechism of the Catholic Church

On May 1, the Centre is closed. Happy spring holiday!

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