Mozart’s Mass in C minor, first performed in 1783, is incomplete. It seems that Mozart intended it for his new wife Constanze and envisioned that she would sing the soprano solo in the Et incarnatus est. It was conceived as a large-scale work and the influences of Bach and Handel are evident in the complex polyphonic choral sections, whilst the solo passages reflect Mozart’s skill as a writer of operatic melody.
Even in his late sixties Haydn, already a celebrated composer of orchestral music, found inspiration to write his greatest choral works, including The Creation, The Seasons and the Te Deum, which features in this concert. It was written for Empress Marie Therese, first performed in 1800, and is a joyful hymn of praise to God. Lasting under ten minutes, it nevertheless makes a strong impression, with trumpets, drums, contrasting moods and delightful choral music.
Bach’s church cantata, Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, is a radiantly joyful work scored for soprano solo, strings, continuo and virtuoso trumpet.