Mass in C major, K. 66 "Dominicus"

The Missa solemnis in C major, K. 66, is a mass composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1769. It is scored for SATB soloists and choir, violins I and II, viola, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 clarini (high trumpets), 2 trumpets and basso continuo.

Mozart composed the mass for the ordination of Dominikus Hagenauer, son of Lorenz Hagenauer, the Mozarts' landlord and family friend. Cajetan had entered St Peter's Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, whilst the Mozarts were on their grand tour. When he became a priest in 1769, he took the name Pater Dominicus and celebrated his first solemn high mass; this gives the work its nickname, Dominicusmesse. Leopold Mozart conducted the première on 15 October to a packed church in Salzburg; it is thought that the success of this performance led to Wolfgang's first Italian tour.

Due to its length, the mass is classified as a missa solemnis. It is divided into six movements.


 * 1) Kyrie Adagio, C major,
 * "Kyrie eleison" Allegro, C major,
 * 1) Gloria Allegro moderato, C major,
 * "Laudamus te" Andante grazioso, F major, ; soprano/alto duet
 * "Gratias agimus tibi" Adagio, C major,
 * "Propter magnam gloriam tuam" Allegro, C major,
 * "Domine Deus" Un poco andante, G major, ; tenor solo
 * "Qui tollis peccata mundi" Un poco adagio, G minor,
 * "Quoniam tu" Andante ma un poco allegro, F major, ; soprano solo
 * "Cum Sancto Spiritu" Alla breve, C major,
 * 1) Credo Molto allegro, C major,
 * "Et incarnatus est" Adagio, F major, ; soloists
 * "Crucifixus" Adagio, C minor,
 * "Et resurrexit" Molto allegro, C major,
 * "Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum" Andante, G major, ; soprano solo
 * "Et in unam sanctam" Moderato, C major,
 * "Et vitam venturi saeculi" Allegro, C major,
 * 1) Sanctus Adagio, C major,
 * "Pleni sunt coeli et terra" Allegro, C major,
 * "Hosanna in excelsis" Moderato, C major,
 * 1) Benedictus Allegro moderato, G major, ; soloists
 * "Hosanna in excelsis" Moderato, C major,
 * 1) Agnus Dei Allegro moderato, C major,
 * "Dona nobis pacem" Allegro, C major,

Recordings

 * 1989 – Edith Mathis (soprano), Rosemarie Lang (contralto), Uwe Heilmann (tenor), Jan-Hendrik Rootering (bass) – Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig, Herbert Kegel – CD Philips. This recording was used in volume 19 (Missae/Requiem) of The Complete Mozart Edition. During the 1980s, Kegel recorded Mozart's complete large-scale religious music (i.e. masses, missae breves, offertoriums etc.) for Philips.