Mozart – Great Mass in C minor, K. 427 @ Porto

The Great Mass in C Minor is one of Mozart’s most ambitious creations in the field of sacred music. Unfinished, it remains shrouded in mystery to this day—both regarding the reasons why the composer did not complete it and the exact details of its first performance. Composed in 1782–83, the Mass is believed to have been written as a vow or expression of gratitude, possibly related to Mozart’s marriage to Constanze Weber.

Despite significant gaps—including the missing Agnus Dei, parts of the Credo, and unfinished orchestral sections—the Mass features moments of profound drama, lyricism, and solemnity. Its structure, resembling a cantata mass, reveals Mozart’s admiration for Baroque masters such as Bach and Handel, evident in its imposing choral passages, contrapuntal writing, and vocal exuberance. Notable examples include the famous Domine Deus, a dazzling soprano duet, and Et incarnatus est, one of Mozart’s most beautiful compositions, featuring a final cadenza shared between soprano, flute, oboe, and bassoon.

The modern edition of the work, shaped by the efforts of musicologists such as Franz Beyer and H. C. Robbins Landon, seeks to preserve the integrity of the surviving material, making it performable without attempting to complete what Mozart left unfinished. Even in its fragmentary state, this Mass stands as one of the greatest achievements in Western sacred music, often placed alongside monumental works such as Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis—not only for its artistic impact but also for its suggestion of an intense, personal, and visionary spirituality.

Cast

TECHNICAL RIDER

Lapa Polyphonic Choir
Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra
Osvaldo Ferreira, conductor

Production Support OFP

Assistant Conductor – André Lousada
Stage Manager – Paulo Alves
Social Media Manager – Sofia Ferreira
Artistic Production – Carolina Frederico
Production – Rafaela Silva