A conductor’s analysis of Missa Votiva (ZWV 18) by Jan Lukáš Ignatius Dismas Zelenka

Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745) was one of the most respected composers of the Baroque period and held in high esteem by such contemporaries as Johann Sebastian Bach. However, because of the inaccessibility of his works after his death and damage to many of his manuscripts during World War II, his creative output is little known and thus rarely performed today. Zelenka was a devout Catholic who composed mostly for the Dresden Hofkapelle, where he served as a bassist in the Hofkapelle and substituted as Kapellmeister in the absence of Johann David Heinichen while the latter was ill. His many exemplary works provide expanded options for modern performance. However, he continued to serve the Dresden court and composed many works that enrich the performance possibilities from that era.

Missa votiva (ZWV 18) is one of Zelenka's five final late Masses. He completed it in 1739 as a thanksgiving to God for his recovery from a lengthy illness. The Neapolitan school of composition, which affected much of eighteenth-century church music in general, also had a profound influence on this masterwork. This essay contains a biographical sketch of Zelenka, the story of the genesis of Missa votiva, and performing forces available to Zelenka during the period. It provides a conductor's analysis of the work, illuminating information found in the score, musical structures, and specific technical considerations for conductors. Such information will prove helpful to modern conductors considering a performance of this masterpiece.