[1] The missa brevis (short mass) was written around 1775 for the order of the Barmherzige Brüder (Brothers Hospitallers) in Eisenstadt, whose patron saint was John of God.

[2] The mass was written for the order of the Barmherzige Brüder, also called Brothers of Mercy, in Eisenstadt, Hungarian Kingdom (now Austria), whose founder and patron saint was St. John of God.

This setting does, however, take this practice to the extreme, by omitting the words "Et in unum Dominum, Iesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum" ("And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God") from the Credo.

[6] The Credo is structured in three parts, the center being formed by an Adagio for the birth, suffering and death of Jesus, delivered by the choir mostly in homophony, accompanied by broken chords in the violins and repetition in the bass.

[6] The Benedictus, the longest movement, is a dialogue of soprano soloist and organ, described as "expressive, elegant, and ornate melodic lines".

[2] H. C. Robbins Landon, an editor of the composition, ascribed to the work a "quiet spirit of devotion, even of mysticism, that is most appealing".

[3] The mass was also used in Salzburg where the textual compression was deemed "unacceptable", therefore the composer's brother Michael Haydn expanded the Gloria, from 31 measures to 118.

However, the Oxford edition presents Michael Haydn's prolongation in the main body of the text and Joseph's short original as an appendix.