John Knowles Paine's Mass in D is one of the monuments of American music, all the more remarkable since this massive work was written during his twenties. Modelled on the great oratorios of Mendelssohn and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Paine sculpted a work of rich and lofty inspiration and undeniable beauty that went a long way towards establishing his reputation as America's first great composer. The Mass in D is a basic building block of any collection of American art music.
