The Glagolitic Mass (, ; also called Missa Glagolitica or Slavonic Mass) is a composition for soloists (soprano, contralto, tenor, bass), double chorus, organ and orchestra by Leoš Janáček. The work was completed on 15 October 1926 and premiered by the Brno Arts Society, conducted by Jaroslav Kvapil, in Brno on 5 December 1927. Janáček revised the mass the next year. The Glagolitic Mass is one of the most remarkable and important musical religious works of the twentieth century. The Glagolitic alphabet was an early Slavic alphabet, the predecessor of the modern Cyrillic alphabet. In Yugoslavia, the Catholic Church gave permission for the Roman Rite liturgical Mass to be celebrated in Old Church Slavonic at a time when such liturgies were typically only permitted to be in Latin, resulting in the Glagolitic Use Mass. Background The text is in Old Church Slavonic, with five vocal movements that correspond to the Catholic Ordinary of the Mass, omitting "Dona nobis pacem" in the Agnus Dei. The musical origins of the work can be traced to Janáček's Latin setting of the Kyrie, Agnus Dei, and Credo for organ and chorus. This was used as a dictation exercise by his composition students in 1908. Janáček had extensive experience working with choirs, as well as writing a large amount of choral music. It begins and closes with triumphant fanfares dominated by the brass. In between these sections lies particularly vibrant and rhythmic writing for solo voices as well as choir. Curiously, the final movement is titled Intrada, which means entrance. Before this Intrada, Janáček introduces a dramatic organ solo of considerable originality – a moto perpetuo of wild energy. Janáček's Glagolitic Mass is considered an important work of the century and is frequently performed and recorded today. Janáček was a strong supporter of pan-Slavism, and this mass has been viewed as a celebration of Slavic culture. Structure Its eight movements are: Úvod – Introduction (orchestra) Gospodi pomiluj – Kyrie Slava – Gloria Věruju – Credo Svet – Sanctus Agneče Božij – Agnus Dei Varhany sólo (Postludium) – Organ solo Intrada – Exodus (literally, entrance) Although this version is considered the "standard" version performed today, research into Janáček's manuscripts suggests that the Intrada was intended to be played at the beginning of the work as well, creating a symmetric nine-movement form with the Věruju at its center. In addition, several other sections of the work were