Mass in C major

Although Rheinberger composed a considerable repertoire of music for worship, the “Mass in C major” op. 169 for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra published here is his sole contribution to the genre of orchestral mass. He generally treated the solo voices as an ensemble, without any single voice standing out in arioso style. The style of part-writing is also like that of the chorus, and so the solo quartet’s most important function is to provide a change in texture from the kind of sound in the tutti passages.

The “Missa in C” is available in two authentic versions: a) with full orchestra (strings and winds, but without organ) or b) with string orchestra and organ; the organ being a substitute for the winds. The string parts in the two versions are identical. In addition Rheinberger recommended that the trombones should be added to the orchestra only if the choir is large.