The Glory of St Anna (Annakirche, Wien)

The Credo, a setting of the Nicene Creed, is the longest text of a sung Mass. It is a statement of belief.

Who listens – or reads through it – with an  open mind, will find many pointers. In particular the most beautiful mantra of the Nicene Creed:

Lumen de lunine, deum de deo
Deum verum, de deo vero

Light of light, God of God
true god of true god.

Let us not forget that Music and the holy Mass was the chosen vehicle of the spirit at the time. It is so easy to discard it because of the “religious” context….

Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem,

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty

factorem cœli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:

Et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum,

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula.

the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds;

Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero,

God of God, Light of Light, very [true] God of very [true] God;

genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri;

begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,

per quem omnia facta sunt.
by Whom all things were made; (abbreviated) 

W.A. Mozart: Credo from Coronation Mass in C-major K 317)
Herbert von Karajan, Wiener Philharmoniker, Rome, St. Peter

Soprano: Kathleen Battle
Altus: Trudeliese Schmidt
Tenor: Gösta Winbergh
Bass: Ferruccio Furlanetto

And yet another Credo – pure spirit for the heart-ear

L v Beethoven ‘Missa Solemnis’ Credo

Mass in D major Op.123 ‘ Misssa solemnis! III. Credo
N Harnoncourt, Arnold Schönberg Chor