A Mass of Life

A Mass of Life (German: Eine Messe des Lebens) is a cantata by English composer Frederick Delius, based on the German text of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885). In 1898, Delius had written a male choir and orchestral setting of "Midnight Song" from the same work, and this was revised to form part of the Mass. Eine Messe des Lebens is the largest of Delius's concert works, being written for four SATB soloists, double choir and orchestra. It was dedicated to Fritz Cassirer, who had had an important hand in choosing the passages from Nietzsche's text.

A Mass of Life

A Mass of Life (German: Eine Messe des Lebens) is a cantata by English composer Frederick Delius, based on the German text of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885). In 1898, Delius had written a male choir and orchestral setting of "Midnight Song" from the same work, and this was revised to form part of the Mass. Eine Messe des Lebens is the largest of Delius's concert works, being written for four SATB soloists, double choir and orchestra. It was dedicated to Fritz Cassirer, who had had an important hand in choosing the passages from Nietzsche's text.