The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) by J.S. Bach is a musical setting of the complete Latin Mass. The work was one of Bach's last compositions, not completed until the year before his death, albeit reusing old material. It was unusual for composers working in the Lutheran tradition to compose a Missa tota and Bach's motivations remain a matter of scholarly debate. The Mass was never performed in totality during his lifetime; the first documented complete performance took place in 1859. Since the nineteenth century it has been widely hailed as one of the greatest compositions in history, and today it is frequently performed and recorded. Bach did not give the B minor Mass a title. Instead, he organized the 1748–49 manuscript into four folders, each with a different title.
