Joseph Haydn Te Deum

As Kapellmeister to Prince Esterházy, Haydn composed numerous instrumental works and various operas, as well as making important contributions to the genre of church music, including fourteen Latin masses, of which only twelve are authentic or complete; these are complemented by motets and offertories, two important Te Deum settings, two Salve Reginas, a Stabat Mater, and the different versions of the Sieben Worte des Erlösers am Kreuze. The masses were composed continually between 1749 and 1802, except for the years 1783–1795, and therefore constitute the genre with which Haydn was occupied over the longest period of time. The six (authentic or complete) masses composed before 1782 are stylistically very different, and as well as short Missae breves there are more extended masses with rich orchestral scoring; by contrast the six so-called late masses, written from 1796 onwards, form a comparatively homogeneous group of more extensive works scored for large forces. With his two great oratorios Die Schöpfung (The Creation) (1798) and Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons) (1801) Haydn established the tradition of the German oratorio for middle-class music making. Personal details

Armin Kircher studied church music at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Until his death he was Director of the Church Music Department of the Archdiocese of Salzburg, and since 1992 he had been administrative director of the Österreichische Werkwoche für Kirchenmusik (Austrian Week for Church Music). He was also Director of Music at St Peter's Abbey, Salzburg and organist at the Cajetan Church in Salzburg. The collections he edited for the Catholic liturgy have become established standard works, in particular the choral collections Chorbuch Mozart • Haydn, the Chorbuch Kirchenjahr (Choirbook for the Church Year) and publications for organ and choir for the new Catholic hymnbook Gotteslob. Armin Kircher also made a name as an arranger of beautiful settings for choir and organ. Personal details