Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, is considered one of the most significant sacred compositions in the history of music. It is Bach’s last major vocal work and his only composition based on the complete Ordinarium of the Latin Mass text. It is a Missa solemnis consisting of 18 choral movements and nine arias. In 1733, Bach initially composed a Mass consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria. Toward the end of his life, he compiled the remaining movements from arrangements of earlier compositions—primarily from his cantatas—and new compositions. Continue reading “A Masterpiece of Superlatives—Bach’s Mass in B Minor”