Mass in D

[spaceray]

Was Beethoven's Mass in D a commission or a
"personal" work.

[chopithoven]

Beethoven composed the Mass in D "Missa Solemnis" for the occasion of the coronation of Rudolph Habsburg (Archduke Rudolph) as the Archbishop of Ölmutz in Moravia, because of the esteem he felt for his patron. However, he did not finish the work for the ceremony, so it could not be played in that occasion.

[spaceray]

If the Mass in D was a commission of the court one assumes the court as LVBs employer paid for it,why then was he able to sell it again to one of his publishers. Do I understand rightly that commissioned music could be sold again after a certian time .Would the Court have paid for a work not completed in time to use for the coronation?

[Chris]

From what I remember reading about it, it was not a commission; Beethoven decided to compose it on his own initiative. I'm not 100% sure, though.

[This message has been edited by Chris (edited January 24, 2003).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Chris:
From I remember reading about it, it was not a commission; Beethoven decided to compose it on his own initiative. I'm not 100% sure, though.

I think you're right about this - Beethoven of course got into hot water with the Mass with his publishers - I think he claimed to be working on another 2 Masses at the same time. Neither was the Mass completed on time for its intended performance to mark the installation of the Archduke Rudolph as Archbishop of Olmutz on 9th March 1820.

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'Man know thyself'