Johann Baptist Schiedermayr: Pastoralmesse in C: Chœur Mixte et Ensemble

In the south German-Austrian region the Pastoral Mass of Johann Baptist Schiedermayr was regarded as one of the most well-known and beloved works in this genre. Engaging melodies, passages in thirds and sixths, and typical pastoral motives, such as horn calls and open fifths, the latter a reminder of the bourdon of bagpipes or a hurdy-gurdy, characterize the movements of the Mass. Lyrical sections, such as the “Et incarnatus est,” which is the center of Shiedermayr’s setting of the Ordinary, alternate with festive passages in which trumpets and timpani brilliantly express the festive joy of Christmas.