This missa brevis is thought to have been composed for ordinary
liturgical use in the
Salzburg Cathedral,[1][2] under the directive of
Archbishop Colloredo. Mozart tried to satisfy Colloredo's demands for brevity and concision in the composition of this mass – none of the movements have an orchestral
prelude, the orchestra itself is highly reduced, there is very little
fugal writing, and much of the setting is
homophonic.[3] In 1793, the
Lotter house published the mass
posthumously;[4] it was the first of Mozart's works to appear in print.[3]
The mass consists of six movements. Performances require approximately 15 minutes.