Glagolitic Mass

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Glagolitic Mass (Glagolská mše). Mass for sop., cont., ten., bass, ch., and orch. by Janáček, comp. 1926, f.p. Brno 1927, Norwich 1930. Text adapted from Ordinary of the Mass by Miloš Weingant. Movts. entitled: Kyrie (Gospodi pomiluj); Gloria (Slava); Credo (Věruju); Sanctus (Svet); Agnus Dei (Agneče Božij). Vernacular version of Ordinary was taken by Janáček from church magazine. He mistakenly called Old Slavonic language of time of St Cyril and St Methodius (9th cent.) ‘glagolitic’, which properly refers only to Old Slavonic script and alphabet. Mus. contains important org. part. Because of inadequacies among singers and instrumentalists at the f.p., Janáček made cuts and alterations which found their way into the pubd. score after his death. It is probable that he did not intend them to be other than emergency measures. The orig. vers. had its f.p. in Manchester 1993 (Manchester Univ.) and has been recorded.