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.