Missa pastoralis bohemica

Freely rhymed Mass settings; available either in German or Czech. The Bohemian Christmas masses are a typical product from the end of the 18th century. Jan Jakub Ryba’s Pastoral Mass from 1796 is a prototype of this genre. It was set in Czechoslovakian and filled with a conscious simple, folk-like musicality, which every villager in Ryba’s time could understand. Correspondingly, Ryba’s work became so popular that in the course of time – according to Milan Kuna, the editor of the Mass – “it was felt to be a symbol of Czechoslovakian Christmas.” In addition to the original text the music also includes a German singing text.