It, however, was not carried out.
It is significant that Beethoven gives the German direction throughout
in this Mass. At the Kyrie the direction is Mit Andacht. At the soli of
the Agnus Dei he writes Aengstlich, denoting great agitation or anxiety.
It may have been done as a kind of protest to the Italian cult in music,
which had at this period taken complete possession of the Vienna public.
The more solid German music was neglected in favor of Rossini, and
Beethoven felt this change of front keenly, making it the subject of
remark to Rochlitz and to others.
It can readily be supposed that works like the Mass in D are not easily
produced. To get his materials for it Beethoven penetrated deeply the
mystery surrounding life. The ideas which he voices seem always to have
existed, like other great forces in the universe; he impresses one as
being the discoverer, rather than the creator of them.
Schindler, who saw much of him during these years, says of his
absorption in this work: "He actually seemed possessed, especially
during the composition of the Credo.
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