Two years after leaving his Great Mass in C minor unfinished, Mozart decided to repurpose the music to fulfill a commission for a cantata called Davide Penitente (David the Penitent). For those who cherish the Great Mass as one of Mozart’s most sublime achievements, hearing its familiar music set to new texts offers a striking revelation—one that highlights the remarkable flexibility and expressive depth of his compositional voice. And for listeners encountering this music for the first time, Davide Penitente provides a compelling entry point into one of Mozart’s most poignant and transcendent creations, experienced from a fresh and illuminating perspective.

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