The Missa brevis K.140 (Anh. 235d = No. 5) occupies a special position in that it comes close to a pastoral mass a type not otherwise represented in Mozart s mass oeuvre. As in no other setting of the Ordinary songlike graceful melodies predominate; only the main part of the Credo and the first section of the Agnus Dei stand out with their serious solemn mood.New important evidence for the work s authenticity has come to light through the discovery of old parts that were written at a time in which a false attribution of another composer s work to Mozart would not have been possible: a copy at Kremsmünster Monastery which according to Altman Kellner was writtenin Salzburg ca. (soon after) 1770 and a copy from Heilig Kreuz Kloster Augsburg of which thirteen parts contain autograph markings by W. A. Mozart. The master s hand is unmistakable.Urtext of the New Mozart EditionFull score performance material (BA4736) and vocal score (BA4736-90) available for sale.
