German Mass in F major, D 872

"Franz Schubert's “German Mass in F major” D 872 is one of the composer’s best known and most popular masses. The simple, song-like character of the work, the predominantly homophonic setting and the free German-language free setting of the ordinary make it particularly suitable also for less experienced choirs. Composed in 1827, it was one of the last masses that Schubert completed shortly before his death in 1828. He took as his model the German-language masses of Michael Haydn, known as the “Deutsches Hochamt” [German High Mass], which also included German masses for parish singing. Schubert's “German Mass in F major” D 872 consists of eight mass chants and the appendix “The Lord's Prayer”. The text was written by the poet Johann Philipp Neumann, who had commissioned the work. The mass thus does not follow the Latin Mass Ordinary, which focuses on the praise of God, but concentrates on the earthly needs of man. With this version of the text, Schubert's mass became so popular that it is still part of everyday church life in Germany and Austria today. Individual chants from the mass, such as “Wohin soll ich mich wenden”, “Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe” and “Heilig, heilig, heilig ist der Herr”, are an integral part of the Catholic prayer and hymnbook “Gotteslob” and are even printed in full in some regional appendices. The traditional Breitkopf edition contains Schubert's first version for four-part mixed choir and organ, as well as the second version, written later, for four-part mixed choir with winds, timpani and organ (double bass ad lib.). By creating different versions, Schubert was able to meet the diverse needs of the communities, which contributes to his unbroken popularity in church music to this day. Schubert's “German Mass in F major”, D 872, is a work of lyrical simplicity and spiritual depth that is particularly suitable for lay choirs. "