Haydn: Missa Sanctae Caeciliae by Eugen Jochum (2024 Remastered, Studio 1959)

Eugen Jochum’s version is excellent. It leans more towards classicism than certain so-called baroque interpretations, which often adopt tempos that are too fast. What emerges is a grandiose Mass with a palpable spiritual atmosphere.

Haydn’s Mass "of Saint Cecilia" is in fact dedicated to the Virgin Mary; its original title was Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae. The Latin term Cellensis refers to the sanctuary of Mariazell (Zell meaning Celle), a pilgrimage site under the protection of the Esterházy family, for whom Haydn worked. It is only recently that musicologists—H. C. Robbins Landon in particular—have been able to date the work precisely to 1766. This mass stands as a majestic prelude to the long series of religious compositions that were to follow in Haydn’s oeuvre.

Haydn introduced several innovations in this Mass, notably the slow, symphonic introduction at the beginning of the Kyrie, built on the lower voices of both choir and orchestra. The fugues are marked by strong rhythmic drive and syncopation (Gloria: X. Cum Sancto Spiritu In Gloria Dei Patris), while the solo passages display a distinctly theatrical character. As such, this Mass can be seen as a transitional work, bridging Haydn’s early and later sacred compositions.