Monday 25 July 2011

The Younger Haydn

Many other blogs and news sites have covered the funeral Mass of Archduke Otto von Habsburg which took place in Vienna on Saturday 16 July.  The blogs in particular tend to point to particular points of interest regarding the liturgy itself, and I shall briefly do the same.  The first thing that struck me was the aptness of the entrance procession - slow, solemn and stately.  One thing which is often the source of angst when attending Mass is the sloppy manner in which the entrance procession is carried out.  Servers should study this video carefully.  

The only other thing which I would point out relates to the setting of the Requiem - that of Michael Haydn, the younger sibling of the celebrated Franz Joseph Haydn (though it is clear that musical talent ran in the family).  This setting has seldom been recorded, so it is a joy to have it preserved on film.  


See further extracts of the Mass here