The Missa in Tempore Belli is an interesting work in several respects. On the one hand, this mass setting allows some conclusions to be drawn about the situation of Austrian church music under the influence of the legislation of the time. In addition, the political situation with the impending invasion of Austria by Napoleon's troops is reflected in the title of the composition as 'Mass in Wartime' (in German-speaking countries the work is known primarily as 'Paukenmesse'). Last but not least, the composition stands at the beginning of the group of six Latin mass settings ... which, together with the oratorios The Creation and The Seasons, form Haydn's late vocal oeuvre and are undisputedly among his top compositional achievements.
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