One of 6 great masses created by the composer between 1796 and 1802 to celebrate the name-day of the wife of his patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy and titled in honor of the Austrian empress. According to Grove's, the masses are celebrated for "rich and inexhaustible invention . . . and consummate classical simplicity." Reproduced from an authoritative score, this edition will find a wide and enthusiastic audience.