Francesco Durante Mass in C minor

Johann Sebastian Bach was able to appreciate good works by other composers, as is shown by contemporary accounts, and by a glimpse into what remains of his music library. Francesco Durante, maestro di cappella in Naples, was known in his time as an accomplished composer, who in his sacred works sought to achieve accommodation between the strict "stile antico" and the "stile moderno" of concert music at that time. This combination distinguishes his Mass in C minor, and it may have been what awakened Johann Sebastian Bach's interest in this work. He copied it about 1730, not merely for study purposes but in order to perform it, as is indicated by various alterations which he made to the composition. Bach replaced the "Christe" by a composition of his own, and for the "Kyrie II" he used Durante's music for the "Gloria", making the alterations required by the different words. A worthwhile discovery!