fbpx
eesti keeles

Works

Missa syllabica

1977 / 1996

Scored for

mixed choir (SATB) and organ

Duration

16 min

© Universal Edition AG, Wien

Short description

Missa syllabica was composed in 1977 based on the text from ordinary sections of the mass; it was one of Pärt’s earliest tintinnabuli compositions where the composer has taken a text as the starting point for creating his music.

Arvo Pärt: “I did not want to add too much of my own emotions and understandings; I wanted to use the words objectively so that they could have a liturgical function. I set out to encode each word, paying special attention for instance to make sure that each ending syllable resolves to the tonic. Of course, the simple mathematical phrase building method was derived from my experience of early music – a tradition, which had become close to me. Drawing only on this tradition and practice, I was able to bring these dead numbers to life.”…

Missa syllabica was composed in 1977 based on the text from ordinary sections of the mass; it was one of Pärt’s earliest tintinnabuli compositions where the composer has taken a text as the starting point for creating his music.

Arvo Pärt: “I did not want to add too much of my own emotions and understandings; I wanted to use the words objectively so that they could have a liturgical function. I set out to encode each word, paying special attention for instance to make sure that each ending syllable resolves to the tonic. Of course, the simple mathematical phrase building method was derived from my experience of early music – a tradition, which had become close to me. Drawing only on this tradition and practice, I was able to bring these dead numbers to life.”

The music is syllabic, as the title suggests – one note corresponds to each syllable. In addition, the pitches are derived from the length of the words, just as rhythms and inter-phase pauses come from the structure of the text and the punctuation. This technique became characteristic of Pärt’s text-based tintinnabuli compositions hereafter.

Arvo Pärt: “I counted the number of syllables, commas, periods nd accentuations. Sometimes a strong bond with the meaning of the word might unconsciously evolve, but basically, it is not determinative. I try to keep a certain distance from the text, and ideally, I imagine a completely objective psalmody, which is heard in church and emerges from a single sound. In this way, the sound would be like an international language.”

Missa syllabica was premiered under the title Test by a four-part vocal ensemble and early music instruments performed by Hortus Musicus on 28 October 1977 at the student club of the Riga Polytechnic Institute. In Estonia the piece was premiered by the same musicians on 15 May 1978, in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu. Since then, the composer has created new versions for various instrumentations.

Show more Show less

Parts

  • I Kyrie
  • II Gloria
  • III Credo
  • IV Sanctus
  • V Agnus Dei
  • VI Ite missa est

Other titles

Original title: "Test"

Completion year

1977

Revision year

1996

Original version

1977

Scored for

mixed choir (SATB) and organ

Duration

16 min

Publishers

Universal Edition

Language

Latin

Vocal text

Ordinary of the Mass

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.

CREDO
Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipotentem,
factorem caeli et terrae,
visibiliu…
Ordinary of the Mass

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.

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.

ITE MISSA EST
Ite, missa est. Deo gratias.


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.

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.

ITE MISSA EST
Go forth, the Mass is ended. Thanks be to God.

Translation from the Roman Missal, Third Edition
Show more Show less

The Centre is closed on May 19. Happy Pentecost!

Join our newsletter