A Brief Analysis of Haydn’s Missa Brevis Sti.

Joannes de Deo in Bb

Samuel Olin-Hitt

Tonal Harmony III

Dr. Kent Cleland

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Introduction

Haydn’s Missa Brevis Sti. Joannes de Deo in Bb or Little Organ Mass is one of many

Haydn masses. Though relatively short, and comprised of only six texts, it is nevertheless one of

his most popular, accessible, and surviving liturgical works. Analyzing the first and last

movements of the work (Kyrie and Agnus Dei) shows an incredible attention to detail, both in

the realms of modulation, and structure. The modulations in the Kyrie follow a regressing

pattern, and the structure of the Agnus Dei is one of diminishing phrase structure that is very

nearly symmetrical. These specific elements elevate the Little Organ Mass to a rank that

outweighs its name.

Brief History of the Work

Haydn’s masses constitute a large part of his work, with sacred vocal music specifically

constituting fully half of all of his music. Both the first and last of documented Haydn works are

mass settings, and upon rediscovering his Missa Brevis in F, he was impressed by “the melody

and a certain youthful fire” (Grove Music Online). The Little Organ Mass itself was written

around 1775, while Haydn was the Kappelmeister at Esterházy Court. As he turned to vocal

music in 1766, this was a natural extension of his mastery of the genre. Haydn’s career cannot be

clearly segmented or defined as his post at Esterházy was relatively uninterrupted for 30 years,

and so his writing of the Little Organ Mass does not fit any clear demarcation of a point in his

career. His music, as is the case with the Bb Mass, exhibits technical mastery, appropriateness,

and rhetoric, which served him well in his 3-decade post as Kappelmeister.
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Kyrie

The Kyrie movement of Haydn’s “Kleine Orgelmeisse” in Bb is in a standard 3-part

ABA’ Kyrie form. As is traditional in the mass genre, the form throughout the work is informed

by the text, and the Kyrie, is no exception. The movement begins with a short exclamation of

“Kyrie Eleison,” in a standard tonic-predominant-dominant-tonic chord progression (I-ii65-V7-I).

A chromatic bass line in the organ accompanies a short figure in the second violin, repeated in

the first violin. These resolve to a dominant before the triumphant return of “Kyrie” in the tonic.

All voices arpeggiate a tonic chord, before a restatement of “Kyrie” on the dominant chord,

which pivots to the dominant key area of F halfway through measure 5.

With the first statement of “Eleison” in measure 6, the harmonic structure begins to take

an exclusively tonic-predominant form in the dominant key area (I6-ii42). A repeating ornamental

figure in the first violin accentuates these chord changes until the second full statement of “Kyrie

eleison” beginning in measure 7. Measure 8 begins on a IV9 chord with a suspension in the

Tenor voice leading to a statement of “Eleison” which is rhythmically layered with the Soprano

and Tenor entering an eighth note earlier than the Alto and Bass. This new rhythmic material is

underscored by a pulsing 16th note figure in the strings and organ. The rhythm becomes more

disjunct in measure 9 with the final restatement of the first “Kyrie eleison,” in which the Soprano

and Tenor enter an eighth note removed from each other and a full beat and a half before the

entrances of the Alto and Tenor at the beginning of measure 10. A rising chromatic bass line

lends urgency to the disjointed final repetition of this text.

Measure 12 begins the text “Christe eleison” triumphantly in forte on the tonic, which

mirrors the second statement of “Kyrie” in measure 4. As the strings arpeggiate a 16th note

figure, the text in the four vocal parts rearticulate the homophonic texture that was present in the
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beginning of the piece. Midway through measure 13, a brief modulation to Cm begins, marking a

macro retrogression from a dominant key area into a predominant key area, which then resolves

back to the tonic key area in measure 15. Also of note in measure 15 is a shift from an

arpeggiating string part to a string part characterized by sixth leaps, which then becomes a falling

figure at the end of measure 16. The multiple statements of “Christe eleison” are on the whole

more compact than the statements of “Kyrie eleison” and create a microform broken into a series

of whole and half measure statements.

The recapitulation of the text “Kyrie eleison” occurs in measure 17. This is nearly

identical to the statement in measure 1, with only slight rhythmic variances in the two violin

parts. However, the restatements from measures 4-5 are compacted and reformed in measure 19.

There is a similar pulsing 16th note string part as in measure 15, however, this figure is

characterized by octave leaps rather than sixth leaps. The highest pitch level in the Soprano part

(G5) occurs on beat one of measure 19, signaling the climax of the movement. There is another

significant suspension in the Tenor voice in measure 20; however, the harmonic structure is

fairly straightforward until the end of the movement in measures 24-25, with the last restatement

of “Eleison.”

Agnus Dei

As the last movement of the mass, the Agnus Dei is in a 3-part ABC form, with the only

modulations occurring in the A section. It is nevertheless a harmonically robust movement that

benefits from Renaissance and Classical compositional influence. The movement begins on a

falling statement of “Agnus Dei” in the Bass voice, which creates a tonic-dominant-tonic

harmonic structure (I-V-I) and is mirrored in the organ. The upper string parts consist of an
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arpeggiated staccato eighth for the first three measures. There is then a three quarter note figure

in all parts further accentuated by a rest all the way down the score after the text “qui tollis.” The

same quarter note figure is repeated in all voices on the text “peccata mundi,” except for the

Organ, on which there is an eighth note pulse. Up to now, the harmonic structure has consisted of

tonic, predominant, and dominant chords with one secondary leading tone chord in measure 5,

however, the structure shifts in measure 7, where a common tone diminished seventh chord is

introduced, leading into a viio/v chord in measure 9, which serves as a pivot to a modulation into

g minor. The text “miserere nobis” is finished on a standard tonic-predominant-dominant-tonic

chord progression with a cadential i64 chord, and the opening theme is restated in the relative

minor. The text is restated with slight variances in the harmonic language. Again, there is a pivot

in measure 22 on the text “miserere nobis” this time leading into Cm, a predominant key area.

The theme is again restated in Cm; however, this is a quick, more compact version of the

opening, and pivots on a VII in measure 31 back into Bb.

The architecture of the piece is such that the B section begins on measure 33, almost

exactly halfway between the beginning of the piece and the start of the Coda in measure 68. This

lends a sort of symmetry to the movement, furthered by the compositional structure of the B

section itself. The B section of this movement begins with an eighth note pulse in the high strings

and a cantus firmus of “dona nobis pacem” in the tenor voice. There are embellishing figures in

all other voices except the second violin; however, as the cantus firmus remains steady in the

tenor, these embellishments carry a sense of tonic function, despite the chord changes in the bass

voice. The cantus firmus is repeated in diapente in the alto voice in measure 37, but this time the

function of the chord changes in the bass are dominant. In measure 41, the cantus firmus enters

the bass voice, and in measure 44 the embellishing eighth note figures are adapted into parallel
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melismatic figures that expand across all voices. In measure 46, all parts but the tenor express a

descending eighth note figure, making this the rhythmic and harmonic climax of the piece. As

these melismas resolve to a dominant seven chord, they function as extended predominant

passing figures, although when analyzed in-depth, they have their own chordal functions within

the larger predominant. The entire third statement of “dona nobis pacem” resolves to a tonic in

measure 49. Measure 50, which is not coincidentally the halfway point between the beginning of

the B section and the Coda, restates the original “Agnus Dei” theme in Bb major, on a dynamic

of fortissimo. It is given a deceptive resolution however, and leads into a restatement of “dona

nobis pacem” quite similar to a condensed version of the melismatic material in the B section.

This is repeated beginning at measure 59 identically to the first iteration. A six measure coda

begins on measure 68 and modifies the canon in diapente heard earlier between the alto and tenor

voices, and bass and tenor voices. The 4-measure phrase (m. 68-71) is exclusively on tonic and

dominant, and the piece ends on two measures of eighth note staccato Bb in the strings and

organ.

The structure of the Agnus Dei is perhaps the most compelling element of the piece. The

A section lasts 32 bars, which is a very regimented length for a section of music, and points to

intense planning on Haydn’s part. The B section then lasts 17 measures, which leads into two

repetitions of the C section that constitute 9 measures each. The ratio from section to section is

almost exactly y=1/2x where y is the previous section, and x is the current section, however,

there is consistently a prolongation of a measure, making the structure just asymmetrical enough

to keep the listener engaged, but still symmetrical enough to have an underlying feeling of

structure. The first phrase of the Coda is also 4 measures, constituting close to half of the C

section, and the ending of the Coda is 2 measures, constituting exactly half of the first phrase of
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the Coda. This diminishing structure accented by diminishing rhythmic figures in the B section

which focus on eighth notes as opposed to the quarters and halfs that constitute much of the A

section.

Continued Relevance

The relevance of Haydn’s Missa Brevis Sti. Joannes de Deo (Little Organ Mass) has

historically banked on the relevance of liturgical music. As a shorter mass with light

orchestration, it is relatively approachable for performers, but the ongoing relevance of liturgical

music makes it relatively widespread. The structure also assists in the relevance of the piece, as it

gives a framework for composers to follow and shows how to bend structure without sacrificing

accessibility. The Kyrie specifically is an exercise in retrogression and form, with macro

retrogressions in key area defining the movement. As an accessible piece, The Little Organ Mass

is often performed by college groups, such as a recent performance by the BW Treble Choir. A

reliable recording is by the American Bach Soloists in 2007, led by Jeffery Thomas. Its

continued performance and recording is an effect of its continued relevance in the realms of

form, modulation, and liturgy.

References

Haydn, Joseph, Tamara Matthews, Zoila Muñoz, Benjamin Butterfield, David Arnold, Jeffrey

Thomas, Joseph Haydn, and Joseph Haydn, writers. Lord Nelson Mass & Little Organ

Mass. American Bach Soloists. 2007, CD.

Webster, James. "Franz Joseph Haydn." Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Oxford
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Music Online, n.d. Web.