This invention relates to a method for recombinantly producing, via rescue of mumps virus, a nonsegmented, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus, and immunogenic compositions formed therefrom. Additional embodiments relate to methods of producing the mumps virus as an attenuated and/or infectious virus. The recombinant viruses are prepared from cDNA clones, and, accordingly, viruses having defined changes, including nucleotide/polynucleotide deletions, insertions, substitutions and re-arrangements, in the place of the genome are obtained.