Large-Scale Settings of the Mass

[Pentarches]

I’m new and not entirely sure if this is the right sub-forum to be posting this, but I’m looking for large scale musical settings of the Mass, mainly for listening purposes. I’m already quite familiar with settings of the Mass by major composers- Beethoven, Mozart, Bruckner, Bach, etc. and was wondering if anyone here knew of any other powerful settings.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not especially interested in delicate settings- I’d like to be overwhelmed. I’m imagining something with large choral and potentially instrumental forces, and with an organ, probably works from the late 19th or 20th century. Ideally as well, I would be interested in finding settings that would actually be used in mass, and that are not exclusively theatrical in nature. If anyone here can point me in the direction of something like this I would be incredibly appreciative.

 

[Miserissima]

Already down with the Palestrina, huh?

Try the Divine Liturgy, Blessed Theodore Romzha Academy.

 

[steymard]

Yes, there is a tremendous amount for the Divine Liturgy, such as Rachmaninov’s Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Somehow I wish we could make use of these treasures in the Western rites.

I would include classic requiems, since they can indeed be used in our Masses for the Dead. But you probably know about these already. Verdi’s, Faure’s, Mozart’s, Britten’s, and Tavener’s requiems I am familiar with, but there are a host of others you could search for. I find Faure particularly beautiful, and Verdi probably most like to “overwhelm”.

Puccini wrote a pretty good Mass, and Stravinsky has one too - it may not fit your tastes though.

My favourite modern Mass setting is the one written by Vaughan Williams. It’s just for voices and it harks back to Renaissance styles but still sounds authentically RVW.

Arvo Part has a “delicate” Mass in his typical style.

James MacMillan has some Mass settings with which I am not familiar, but I hear he is one of the most popular Catholic composers.

Nico Muhly, one of the more famous contemporary composers today, has a “Bright Mass with Canons”, though it’s missing a Credo. I enjoy his music.

I think you are going to have trouble finding something that is both “overwhelming” and “possible to use in Mass”. Just saying.

 

[Miserissima]

OP, for a powerful listening experience, how about pulling Mass Settings from the Corsican Polyphony genre? Never fails to move me.

 

[andrewstx]

I wish Gustav Mahler had written a Mass. It would have been truly spectacular going by his other works.

He did put “Veni Creatur Spiritus” in one of his symphonies.

 

[janeway529]

I’d recommend the Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramirez. It’s more on guitars native to Argentina than on organ, but it does have the endorsement of Pope Francis.