Missa Sancti Nicolai (Nikolaimesse) Hob. XXII:6

Franz Joseph Haydn composed his Missa Sancti Nicolai (Mass No. 6 in G major, Hob. XXII:6), also known as the Nicolaimesse, in 1772. The Mass comprises all six standard movements of the typical Austrian mass of the period. During his lifetime, these works ranked among his most popular compositions, as evidenced by the numerous manuscript copies that have survived to the present day. Although the Missa Sancti Nicolai is classified among the missae pastorales traditionally associated with Advent and Christmas, the setting is entirely suitable for performance during any season of the liturgical year.

Editorial Note: Some pieces in this volume feature brackets that comprise ‘ternary cells’ – cells of three beats – of differing lengths. Before the mid 17th century in the stile antico, it was common for each vocal line to have an independent stress pattern: a sequence of binary or ternary accentuations guided by the declamation of the text in order to give life to each voice. Despite the non-legato of the individual single layer – created by elements including the musical articulation, the (hairpin) phrasing of the ternary cells and a natural text declamation – the constant displacement of stresses between the voices provides an overall feeling of flow right through to the next cadence, at which point the ‘cells’ come together. The voices in these SAM arrangements take on more than just their own polyphonic role, occasionally switching between parts to maintain the integrity of the original music. Despite this, the original orchestral accompaniment can be used together with this version without restraint, and the work can also be easily performed with the piano reduction.