Messe solennelle no. 3 in E flat major

In a letter dated 9 April 1882, Gounod told his wife that he had written a “new Sanctus”. He then left Paris to finish the work at the home of one of his nephews, in Fécamp. Completed on 4 May 1882, the composer’s third messe solennelle was probably given its first performance on 14 March 1885 in the church of Saint-Eustache. It was performed again at Notre-Dame on 25 March. Although it received very little attention in the press, this mass differs from Gounod’s earlier religious works in several respects: it has no solo parts and gives the orchestra a very prominent role, supporting the voices and also swelling the contrapuntal polyphony. Built around some highly memorable motifs, each movement is preceded by an orchestral statement (an introduction or transition). The tonal path is based on thirds, very popular in the Romantic period. Starting softly, the Gloria in Excelsisis punctuated by considerable shifts in dynamics. The Credo stands out fora style of musical writing which lends colour to each part of Christ’s chequered life. The Sanctus et Benedictus builds to a climax in the “Hosanna in Excelsis” sections, with long pedal points and textual repetitions. In the central part, the “Bénédictus” creates a sharp contrast by its orchestration written mainly for the winds and by its homorhythmic writing. The Agnus Dei favours some lighter textures and features a perpetuum mobile in quavers on the violins and violas. The mass comes to an end on a longrecto tonosung by the chorus on the word “Amen”.