J. Haydn
Missa in tempore belli „Paukenmesse“

Listen to Haydn's Missa in tempore belli „Paukenmesse“ in St. Stephen's Cathedral, where he sang as a choirboy and married his wife Aloysia a few years later.

The Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War) was given this name by Joseph Haydn himself, as he wanted to remind listeners of the threat to Vienna posed by Napoleon's troops. It must have created an eerie atmosphere when, during the premiere in Vienna in 1796, the drumbeats reminded listeners of the drum rolls of the French troops. The piece is als known under the name "Paukenmesse" due to the dramatic use of timpani, it is one of the most popular of his fourteen mass settings.

Under the direction of Erasmus Baumgartner, artistic director of the Vienna Boys' Choir, the masterpiece will be intensively rehearsed by choir singers from around the world in several workshops. The grand finale will be a performance with renowned soloists and the Vienna Cathedral Orchestra in St. Stephen's Cathedral.