The Missa solennis, or Graner Messe, investigates the synthesis of liturgical tradition and symphonic expansion within the context of 19th-century sacred music. Franz Liszt, a composer and virtuoso pianist, composed this work to mark the consecration of the Basilica in Esztergom, Hungary. The work serves as a formal argument for the integration of thematic transformation and complex harmonic structures into the rigid framework of the Catholic Mass.

Musicologists and conductors frequently categorize this work as a significant, albeit technically demanding, contribution to the Romantic choral repertoire. Experts highlight the score as a primary source for studying the evolution of Liszt's harmonic language and his approach to large-scale structural unity.