A Mass of Life (German: Eine Messe des Lebens) is a cantata by English composer
Frederick Delius, based on the German text of
Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885). In 1898, Delius had written a male choir and orchestral setting of "Midnight Song" from the same work, and this was revised to form part of the Mass.
Delius, who was of German descent, chose for this work the German title Eine Messe des Lebens, having dropped the earlier title Lebensmesse because the German author Richard Dehmel asserted his copyright over the term Lebensmesse. The title Eine Messe des Lebens was used by Sir Thomas Beecham. who conducted the first complete performance of the work in London in 1909.
Eine Messe des Lebens is the largest of Delius's concert works, being written for four SATB soloists, double choir and orchestra. It was dedicated to Fritz Cassirer, who had had an important hand in choosing the passages from Nietzsche's text.
The work was completed in 1905. Part 2 was first performed in Munich in 1908, with a complete performance in London a year later.
