---
MOZARTS GRAND MASS IN C MINOR - HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCE
- Doctoral Research Project - Submitted to the Graduate Professional Committee
-- By
Brady Russe 11 All red- Candidate for the Degree
Doctor of MUSical Arts) Conducting --- Eastman School of Music
of the -- Unlverslty of Rochester
-May 11 1990-
ENDORSED BY -- Department Chairman ________________
Research Advisor _________________ bull
L
--- -
Contents
Introductlon
The Mass During Mozarts Time
Mozarts Sacred Music
The CMinor Mass Part I
The CMInor Mass Part II
Technical Considerations
Table I
Table II
Table III
BibIiography
1 1
15
21
73
98
121
123
124
125
Introduction
bull The conductor preparing a performance of Mozarts CMinor Mass is
faced with considerable problems of style and source study Llke Mozarts last
work the Requiem his Mass in CMinor is one of the great classics of the choral
literature yet both works were left unfinished Whereas death overtook the
bull composer before the Requiem was completed the circumstances surrounding the
bull torso of the CMinor Mass lead us to major deve10pments in the unfolding of
bull Mozarts creative career but these developments are of a highly varying nature
An authentic form of the finished work which Mozart performed at St
Peters in SalZburg on October 26 1783 has never been established The composition of only four movements had been fully carried out Kyrie Gloria
lit Sanctus and Benedlctus (though Mozart had also drafted two additional
movements Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus est) 1 For the remaining
sections of the Mass text he may have used--as the Mozart biographer Otto Jahn conjectured--movements drawn from the sixteen Masses he had previously
1 These were the existing movements as the publisher of the first edttion Johann Anton Andre found trlem The Sanctus although a complete movement was missing one of the two choruses from the Osanna The Et incarnatus est was missing the violin and viola parts altogether except in the opening and closing ri torne 11 1
bull
bull
composed It is also possible that the Credo and Agnus Dei were either spoken in
the service or sung as a plainsong setting Dr Richard Maunder of Cambridge-University has discovered that there was a tradition at St Peters of omitting the Credo from the Mass on certain days 2
Mozarts earl ier Masses written before the composer had moved from
Salzburg to Vienna form a sharp stylistic contrast to the sections completed for the planned CMinor Mass but even these give a picture of totally heterogeneous
bull
styles There were two principal incentives for the composition of the work--one
purely personal and the other generally artistic Mozart had intended to celebrate
his wedding to Constanze Weber (a wedding of which his father at that time still
a most influential figure in Mozarts professional1ife had not approved) with a performance of the work and Constanze was to be the soprano soloist Shortly
before Mozart married Constanze on August 4 1782 he vowed that in gratitude he
would write a large-scale setting of the Mass Five months later he wrote to his
father It is quite true about my moral obligation and indeed I let the word flow from my pen on purpose I made the promise in 2 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September
1988) 7-8
bull 2
-
bull
bull
bull my heart of hearts and hope to be able to keep it When I made it my wife and I were not yet married yet as I was absolutely determined to marry her after her recovery it was easy for mebull to make it--but as you yourself are aware time and other circumstances made our journey impossible The score of half
bull of aMass which is still lying here waiting to be finished is the best proof that I really made the prom1se 3
bull Mozart planned to have the Mass performed dur1ng the vis1t to Salzburg to which
bull his letter refers but it was postponed untll after the birth of his first chi Id
Raimund Leopold on June 17 1783 The couple finally arrived In Salzburg on Julybull 29 1783 and stayed until October 27 the day after the Mass was performed
bull
bull The CMinor Mass was the first sacred choral piece that Mozart composed
after having left his employ by the Archbishop of Salzburg Not only was hebull motivated by his vow he was also challenged artistically since he had become
bull acquainted through his Viennese patron Baron Gottfl~led van SWieten with the~
bull choral music of Bach and Handel The influence of these masters gave hls creative
work a decisive new direction Mozart wrote to his father on April 20 1782
My dear Constanze is really the cause of [the] fugues coming into the world The Baron van Swleten to whom I go every Sunday gave me all the works of Handel and Sebastian Bach to take home with me (after I had played them to him) Whenbull 3 Emily Anderson editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and Hisbull Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 834
bull 3
-
bull
bull Constanze heard the fugues she abso lutely fe 11 in love with them Now she wi 11 listen to nothing but fugues and particularly
bull (in this kind of composition) the works of Handel and Bach Well as she had often heard me play fugues out of my head she asked me 1f I had ever written any down and whenbull I said I had not she scolded me roundly for not recording some of my compositions In this most artistic and beautiful of all
bull musical forms and never ceased to entreat me until I wrote down a fugue for her 4 -In the CMinor Mass the bravura element of arias is thus placed next to-
seemingly archaiC choruses and elements of the opera seria and opera buffa arebull intentionally intermingled with conservative elements of sacred music even in - the original sections of the work Jahn assumed that Mozarts primary interest
bull was in a work guided (somewhat like Bachs BMinor Mass) by an objective study of
different styles But this hypothesis is disproved by the documentation containedbull in Mozarts letters They show a deep religious invo lvement both on the part of
bull the composer and of Constanze
Indeed for a considerable time before we were married -we had always attended Mass and gone to confessfon and received Communion together and I found that I never prayedbull so fervently or confessed and received Communion so devoutly
- as by her side and she felt the same In short we are made for each other and God who orders all th1ngs and consequently
--
4 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins bull Press 1966) p 801
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
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VI I
A
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bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
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bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
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- Example 2
bull
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bull
bull
bull
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bull
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--bull
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A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
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f - ~ - I -
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I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
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41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
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bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
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- n 000
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OrvmiddotVIc bull a
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bull VI
~ A
J~ u
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o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
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TlItli A
-s
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A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
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I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
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-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
--- -
Contents
Introductlon
The Mass During Mozarts Time
Mozarts Sacred Music
The CMinor Mass Part I
The CMInor Mass Part II
Technical Considerations
Table I
Table II
Table III
BibIiography
1 1
15
21
73
98
121
123
124
125
Introduction
bull The conductor preparing a performance of Mozarts CMinor Mass is
faced with considerable problems of style and source study Llke Mozarts last
work the Requiem his Mass in CMinor is one of the great classics of the choral
literature yet both works were left unfinished Whereas death overtook the
bull composer before the Requiem was completed the circumstances surrounding the
bull torso of the CMinor Mass lead us to major deve10pments in the unfolding of
bull Mozarts creative career but these developments are of a highly varying nature
An authentic form of the finished work which Mozart performed at St
Peters in SalZburg on October 26 1783 has never been established The composition of only four movements had been fully carried out Kyrie Gloria
lit Sanctus and Benedlctus (though Mozart had also drafted two additional
movements Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus est) 1 For the remaining
sections of the Mass text he may have used--as the Mozart biographer Otto Jahn conjectured--movements drawn from the sixteen Masses he had previously
1 These were the existing movements as the publisher of the first edttion Johann Anton Andre found trlem The Sanctus although a complete movement was missing one of the two choruses from the Osanna The Et incarnatus est was missing the violin and viola parts altogether except in the opening and closing ri torne 11 1
bull
bull
composed It is also possible that the Credo and Agnus Dei were either spoken in
the service or sung as a plainsong setting Dr Richard Maunder of Cambridge-University has discovered that there was a tradition at St Peters of omitting the Credo from the Mass on certain days 2
Mozarts earl ier Masses written before the composer had moved from
Salzburg to Vienna form a sharp stylistic contrast to the sections completed for the planned CMinor Mass but even these give a picture of totally heterogeneous
bull
styles There were two principal incentives for the composition of the work--one
purely personal and the other generally artistic Mozart had intended to celebrate
his wedding to Constanze Weber (a wedding of which his father at that time still
a most influential figure in Mozarts professional1ife had not approved) with a performance of the work and Constanze was to be the soprano soloist Shortly
before Mozart married Constanze on August 4 1782 he vowed that in gratitude he
would write a large-scale setting of the Mass Five months later he wrote to his
father It is quite true about my moral obligation and indeed I let the word flow from my pen on purpose I made the promise in 2 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September
1988) 7-8
bull 2
-
bull
bull
bull my heart of hearts and hope to be able to keep it When I made it my wife and I were not yet married yet as I was absolutely determined to marry her after her recovery it was easy for mebull to make it--but as you yourself are aware time and other circumstances made our journey impossible The score of half
bull of aMass which is still lying here waiting to be finished is the best proof that I really made the prom1se 3
bull Mozart planned to have the Mass performed dur1ng the vis1t to Salzburg to which
bull his letter refers but it was postponed untll after the birth of his first chi Id
Raimund Leopold on June 17 1783 The couple finally arrived In Salzburg on Julybull 29 1783 and stayed until October 27 the day after the Mass was performed
bull
bull The CMinor Mass was the first sacred choral piece that Mozart composed
after having left his employ by the Archbishop of Salzburg Not only was hebull motivated by his vow he was also challenged artistically since he had become
bull acquainted through his Viennese patron Baron Gottfl~led van SWieten with the~
bull choral music of Bach and Handel The influence of these masters gave hls creative
work a decisive new direction Mozart wrote to his father on April 20 1782
My dear Constanze is really the cause of [the] fugues coming into the world The Baron van Swleten to whom I go every Sunday gave me all the works of Handel and Sebastian Bach to take home with me (after I had played them to him) Whenbull 3 Emily Anderson editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and Hisbull Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 834
bull 3
-
bull
bull Constanze heard the fugues she abso lutely fe 11 in love with them Now she wi 11 listen to nothing but fugues and particularly
bull (in this kind of composition) the works of Handel and Bach Well as she had often heard me play fugues out of my head she asked me 1f I had ever written any down and whenbull I said I had not she scolded me roundly for not recording some of my compositions In this most artistic and beautiful of all
bull musical forms and never ceased to entreat me until I wrote down a fugue for her 4 -In the CMinor Mass the bravura element of arias is thus placed next to-
seemingly archaiC choruses and elements of the opera seria and opera buffa arebull intentionally intermingled with conservative elements of sacred music even in - the original sections of the work Jahn assumed that Mozarts primary interest
bull was in a work guided (somewhat like Bachs BMinor Mass) by an objective study of
different styles But this hypothesis is disproved by the documentation containedbull in Mozarts letters They show a deep religious invo lvement both on the part of
bull the composer and of Constanze
Indeed for a considerable time before we were married -we had always attended Mass and gone to confessfon and received Communion together and I found that I never prayedbull so fervently or confessed and received Communion so devoutly
- as by her side and she felt the same In short we are made for each other and God who orders all th1ngs and consequently
--
4 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins bull Press 1966) p 801
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
Introduction
bull The conductor preparing a performance of Mozarts CMinor Mass is
faced with considerable problems of style and source study Llke Mozarts last
work the Requiem his Mass in CMinor is one of the great classics of the choral
literature yet both works were left unfinished Whereas death overtook the
bull composer before the Requiem was completed the circumstances surrounding the
bull torso of the CMinor Mass lead us to major deve10pments in the unfolding of
bull Mozarts creative career but these developments are of a highly varying nature
An authentic form of the finished work which Mozart performed at St
Peters in SalZburg on October 26 1783 has never been established The composition of only four movements had been fully carried out Kyrie Gloria
lit Sanctus and Benedlctus (though Mozart had also drafted two additional
movements Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus est) 1 For the remaining
sections of the Mass text he may have used--as the Mozart biographer Otto Jahn conjectured--movements drawn from the sixteen Masses he had previously
1 These were the existing movements as the publisher of the first edttion Johann Anton Andre found trlem The Sanctus although a complete movement was missing one of the two choruses from the Osanna The Et incarnatus est was missing the violin and viola parts altogether except in the opening and closing ri torne 11 1
bull
bull
composed It is also possible that the Credo and Agnus Dei were either spoken in
the service or sung as a plainsong setting Dr Richard Maunder of Cambridge-University has discovered that there was a tradition at St Peters of omitting the Credo from the Mass on certain days 2
Mozarts earl ier Masses written before the composer had moved from
Salzburg to Vienna form a sharp stylistic contrast to the sections completed for the planned CMinor Mass but even these give a picture of totally heterogeneous
bull
styles There were two principal incentives for the composition of the work--one
purely personal and the other generally artistic Mozart had intended to celebrate
his wedding to Constanze Weber (a wedding of which his father at that time still
a most influential figure in Mozarts professional1ife had not approved) with a performance of the work and Constanze was to be the soprano soloist Shortly
before Mozart married Constanze on August 4 1782 he vowed that in gratitude he
would write a large-scale setting of the Mass Five months later he wrote to his
father It is quite true about my moral obligation and indeed I let the word flow from my pen on purpose I made the promise in 2 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September
1988) 7-8
bull 2
-
bull
bull
bull my heart of hearts and hope to be able to keep it When I made it my wife and I were not yet married yet as I was absolutely determined to marry her after her recovery it was easy for mebull to make it--but as you yourself are aware time and other circumstances made our journey impossible The score of half
bull of aMass which is still lying here waiting to be finished is the best proof that I really made the prom1se 3
bull Mozart planned to have the Mass performed dur1ng the vis1t to Salzburg to which
bull his letter refers but it was postponed untll after the birth of his first chi Id
Raimund Leopold on June 17 1783 The couple finally arrived In Salzburg on Julybull 29 1783 and stayed until October 27 the day after the Mass was performed
bull
bull The CMinor Mass was the first sacred choral piece that Mozart composed
after having left his employ by the Archbishop of Salzburg Not only was hebull motivated by his vow he was also challenged artistically since he had become
bull acquainted through his Viennese patron Baron Gottfl~led van SWieten with the~
bull choral music of Bach and Handel The influence of these masters gave hls creative
work a decisive new direction Mozart wrote to his father on April 20 1782
My dear Constanze is really the cause of [the] fugues coming into the world The Baron van Swleten to whom I go every Sunday gave me all the works of Handel and Sebastian Bach to take home with me (after I had played them to him) Whenbull 3 Emily Anderson editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and Hisbull Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 834
bull 3
-
bull
bull Constanze heard the fugues she abso lutely fe 11 in love with them Now she wi 11 listen to nothing but fugues and particularly
bull (in this kind of composition) the works of Handel and Bach Well as she had often heard me play fugues out of my head she asked me 1f I had ever written any down and whenbull I said I had not she scolded me roundly for not recording some of my compositions In this most artistic and beautiful of all
bull musical forms and never ceased to entreat me until I wrote down a fugue for her 4 -In the CMinor Mass the bravura element of arias is thus placed next to-
seemingly archaiC choruses and elements of the opera seria and opera buffa arebull intentionally intermingled with conservative elements of sacred music even in - the original sections of the work Jahn assumed that Mozarts primary interest
bull was in a work guided (somewhat like Bachs BMinor Mass) by an objective study of
different styles But this hypothesis is disproved by the documentation containedbull in Mozarts letters They show a deep religious invo lvement both on the part of
bull the composer and of Constanze
Indeed for a considerable time before we were married -we had always attended Mass and gone to confessfon and received Communion together and I found that I never prayedbull so fervently or confessed and received Communion so devoutly
- as by her side and she felt the same In short we are made for each other and God who orders all th1ngs and consequently
--
4 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins bull Press 1966) p 801
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
composed It is also possible that the Credo and Agnus Dei were either spoken in
the service or sung as a plainsong setting Dr Richard Maunder of Cambridge-University has discovered that there was a tradition at St Peters of omitting the Credo from the Mass on certain days 2
Mozarts earl ier Masses written before the composer had moved from
Salzburg to Vienna form a sharp stylistic contrast to the sections completed for the planned CMinor Mass but even these give a picture of totally heterogeneous
bull
styles There were two principal incentives for the composition of the work--one
purely personal and the other generally artistic Mozart had intended to celebrate
his wedding to Constanze Weber (a wedding of which his father at that time still
a most influential figure in Mozarts professional1ife had not approved) with a performance of the work and Constanze was to be the soprano soloist Shortly
before Mozart married Constanze on August 4 1782 he vowed that in gratitude he
would write a large-scale setting of the Mass Five months later he wrote to his
father It is quite true about my moral obligation and indeed I let the word flow from my pen on purpose I made the promise in 2 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September
1988) 7-8
bull 2
-
bull
bull
bull my heart of hearts and hope to be able to keep it When I made it my wife and I were not yet married yet as I was absolutely determined to marry her after her recovery it was easy for mebull to make it--but as you yourself are aware time and other circumstances made our journey impossible The score of half
bull of aMass which is still lying here waiting to be finished is the best proof that I really made the prom1se 3
bull Mozart planned to have the Mass performed dur1ng the vis1t to Salzburg to which
bull his letter refers but it was postponed untll after the birth of his first chi Id
Raimund Leopold on June 17 1783 The couple finally arrived In Salzburg on Julybull 29 1783 and stayed until October 27 the day after the Mass was performed
bull
bull The CMinor Mass was the first sacred choral piece that Mozart composed
after having left his employ by the Archbishop of Salzburg Not only was hebull motivated by his vow he was also challenged artistically since he had become
bull acquainted through his Viennese patron Baron Gottfl~led van SWieten with the~
bull choral music of Bach and Handel The influence of these masters gave hls creative
work a decisive new direction Mozart wrote to his father on April 20 1782
My dear Constanze is really the cause of [the] fugues coming into the world The Baron van Swleten to whom I go every Sunday gave me all the works of Handel and Sebastian Bach to take home with me (after I had played them to him) Whenbull 3 Emily Anderson editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and Hisbull Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 834
bull 3
-
bull
bull Constanze heard the fugues she abso lutely fe 11 in love with them Now she wi 11 listen to nothing but fugues and particularly
bull (in this kind of composition) the works of Handel and Bach Well as she had often heard me play fugues out of my head she asked me 1f I had ever written any down and whenbull I said I had not she scolded me roundly for not recording some of my compositions In this most artistic and beautiful of all
bull musical forms and never ceased to entreat me until I wrote down a fugue for her 4 -In the CMinor Mass the bravura element of arias is thus placed next to-
seemingly archaiC choruses and elements of the opera seria and opera buffa arebull intentionally intermingled with conservative elements of sacred music even in - the original sections of the work Jahn assumed that Mozarts primary interest
bull was in a work guided (somewhat like Bachs BMinor Mass) by an objective study of
different styles But this hypothesis is disproved by the documentation containedbull in Mozarts letters They show a deep religious invo lvement both on the part of
bull the composer and of Constanze
Indeed for a considerable time before we were married -we had always attended Mass and gone to confessfon and received Communion together and I found that I never prayedbull so fervently or confessed and received Communion so devoutly
- as by her side and she felt the same In short we are made for each other and God who orders all th1ngs and consequently
--
4 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins bull Press 1966) p 801
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
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o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
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A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
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n
sis De- o in - - 19
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- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
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S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
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Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
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8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
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s
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40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
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middotc=
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Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
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Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
bull
bull my heart of hearts and hope to be able to keep it When I made it my wife and I were not yet married yet as I was absolutely determined to marry her after her recovery it was easy for mebull to make it--but as you yourself are aware time and other circumstances made our journey impossible The score of half
bull of aMass which is still lying here waiting to be finished is the best proof that I really made the prom1se 3
bull Mozart planned to have the Mass performed dur1ng the vis1t to Salzburg to which
bull his letter refers but it was postponed untll after the birth of his first chi Id
Raimund Leopold on June 17 1783 The couple finally arrived In Salzburg on Julybull 29 1783 and stayed until October 27 the day after the Mass was performed
bull
bull The CMinor Mass was the first sacred choral piece that Mozart composed
after having left his employ by the Archbishop of Salzburg Not only was hebull motivated by his vow he was also challenged artistically since he had become
bull acquainted through his Viennese patron Baron Gottfl~led van SWieten with the~
bull choral music of Bach and Handel The influence of these masters gave hls creative
work a decisive new direction Mozart wrote to his father on April 20 1782
My dear Constanze is really the cause of [the] fugues coming into the world The Baron van Swleten to whom I go every Sunday gave me all the works of Handel and Sebastian Bach to take home with me (after I had played them to him) Whenbull 3 Emily Anderson editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and Hisbull Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 834
bull 3
-
bull
bull Constanze heard the fugues she abso lutely fe 11 in love with them Now she wi 11 listen to nothing but fugues and particularly
bull (in this kind of composition) the works of Handel and Bach Well as she had often heard me play fugues out of my head she asked me 1f I had ever written any down and whenbull I said I had not she scolded me roundly for not recording some of my compositions In this most artistic and beautiful of all
bull musical forms and never ceased to entreat me until I wrote down a fugue for her 4 -In the CMinor Mass the bravura element of arias is thus placed next to-
seemingly archaiC choruses and elements of the opera seria and opera buffa arebull intentionally intermingled with conservative elements of sacred music even in - the original sections of the work Jahn assumed that Mozarts primary interest
bull was in a work guided (somewhat like Bachs BMinor Mass) by an objective study of
different styles But this hypothesis is disproved by the documentation containedbull in Mozarts letters They show a deep religious invo lvement both on the part of
bull the composer and of Constanze
Indeed for a considerable time before we were married -we had always attended Mass and gone to confessfon and received Communion together and I found that I never prayedbull so fervently or confessed and received Communion so devoutly
- as by her side and she felt the same In short we are made for each other and God who orders all th1ngs and consequently
--
4 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins bull Press 1966) p 801
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
bull Constanze heard the fugues she abso lutely fe 11 in love with them Now she wi 11 listen to nothing but fugues and particularly
bull (in this kind of composition) the works of Handel and Bach Well as she had often heard me play fugues out of my head she asked me 1f I had ever written any down and whenbull I said I had not she scolded me roundly for not recording some of my compositions In this most artistic and beautiful of all
bull musical forms and never ceased to entreat me until I wrote down a fugue for her 4 -In the CMinor Mass the bravura element of arias is thus placed next to-
seemingly archaiC choruses and elements of the opera seria and opera buffa arebull intentionally intermingled with conservative elements of sacred music even in - the original sections of the work Jahn assumed that Mozarts primary interest
bull was in a work guided (somewhat like Bachs BMinor Mass) by an objective study of
different styles But this hypothesis is disproved by the documentation containedbull in Mozarts letters They show a deep religious invo lvement both on the part of
bull the composer and of Constanze
Indeed for a considerable time before we were married -we had always attended Mass and gone to confessfon and received Communion together and I found that I never prayedbull so fervently or confessed and received Communion so devoutly
- as by her side and she felt the same In short we are made for each other and God who orders all th1ngs and consequently
--
4 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins bull Press 1966) p 801
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
-bull has ordained this also will not forsake us 5
bull An assessment of the variety of styles in Mozarts Mass is obviously
bull essent1al for an understand1ng of the work but 1t 1s rendered even more d1ff1cult
bull because an assessment of the sources defies conclusive solution Mozart himself
returned to the unfinished work two years later when he received the commissionbull for a Lent performance of an oratorio Davidde Penitente at very short notice The Italian text possibly by Mozarts librettist Lorenzo da Ponte was adapted under
bull the pressure of time to major portions of the CMinor Mass and the comp leted
adaptation with significant additions was performed on March 13 and 17 1785bull Yet the finished orator10 departs so far from the spirit of the unfinished Mass that 1t can in no sense be cons1dered Mozarts complet10n of the latter work
The original fragments were published in 1840 almost half a century after
l1ozarts death by Johann Andre in Offenbach and subsequently in the Complete Works of Mozart the Gesamtausgabe issued by Breitkopf and Hartel Andre had acqu1red the incomplete autograph after receiving a letter from Constanze telling
5 Anderson The Letters of Mozart and His Family (New York St Martins Press 1966) p 814
5
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
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si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
bull
of its location -For the mass that was afterwards used for Davldde Penl tente you- should make enquiries In Salzburg where It was composed or at any
- rate performed 6
In addition to finding the incomplete autograph Andre also acquired a copybull of the score written by Pater Matthus Fischer (1763-1840) the choirmaster at the
bull Holy Cross Monastery in Augsburg This score was made up from a set of parts
according to Richard Maunder and not directly copied from the autograph It was -unreliable because Fischer was a rather careless copyist frequently omitting and-misplacing articulation marks and even combining the double chorus writing on
bull four staves so that the individual choir parts became nearly indistinguishable With this material Andre published a score of the extant sectlons--wlthout
attempting to fill in the sketched or missing parts His edition is important bull
-
because the autograph now in the Berlin State Library shows considerable losses
only the woodwind brass and timpani parts of the Sanctus exist and the entire Benedictus is missing
bull
6 Anderson Mozarts Letters to His Fami ly (New York St Mart ins Press 1966) p 1480
6-
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
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si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
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s
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40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
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8 ta I
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middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
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Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
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Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
-bull In 190 I Georg Aloys Schmitt director of the Mozart Association in
Dresden reverted to a version that may have been similar to Mozarts design forbull his 1783 performance reconstructing--though necessarily without secure
bull gUidance--a complete form of the Mass by using portions from Mozarts earlier l1asses His performance was subject to immediate criticism In fact it was
later discovered that what he adopted for the Crucifixus was not written by
Mozart but a copy in Mozarts hand of a piece by Ernst Eberlin 7bull
A modern edition published by C F Peters in 1956 was offered by H C
bull Robbins Landon His critical revision Is based on the score published by Andre In
1840 as well as on the score published 1n the Mozart Gesamtausgabe Ser1es
XXI V129 (JUly 1882) edited by Phi lipp Spltta Landon also took over some of
Schmitts reconstruction of the choral sections as a working basis in editing the - part-writing as is indicated by his mention that he was adhering more closely to
the orchestral parts and the extant vocal parts Due to war conditions the
autograph was removed in the 1940s from the Berlin State LIbrary thus making it
unavallable to Landon and was not returned until a considerable time after the end of the war In fact Landon thought it was lost
7 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co) 1969) p 371
7
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
bull
-bull In 1983 the work was re-issued in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe the new
Complete Edition of Mozarts works begun in the 1950s under the auspices of the
International Mozart Foundation and pub11shed by Barenreiter The editors Monika bull
Holl and Karl-Heinz Kohler explain in the preface to this edition the complete
bull process required in sorting out the existing source material and in departing from
the version of the earlier Gesamtausgabe as well as from the available performing bull editions Yet the task of collating the details of their findings with the research
bull of H C Robbins Landon stll1 falls to the modern performer The situation is
- additionally complicated by the fact that the Critical Report to accompany the
bull NMA edition has not yet appeared
bull The most recent performing edition was reconstructed and edited by
bull Maunder and premiered by the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston on October 23
bull and 24 1988 Maunder follows the same principles as Landon and the editors of
the ~ with a few slight adjustments in the reconstruction of the double chorusbull
- secttons and the orchestration For example he adds trombones trumpets and
drums to the open1ng Credo movement tns1stlng that the staves for these
instruments were there In the autograph but left unused In addition he joins an -bull
8--
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
-- obbligato horn part to the obbligato woodwind trio of the Et incarnatus for the
- same reason and justifies thIs decis10n by comparIng the movement to the arla
- Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo written only two years earlier which has
obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon
bull Thus the modern conductor has the choice of three scholarly performing
bull editions 1) H C Robbins Landons score Edition Peters 2) Neue Mozart Ausgabe
- Barenreiter and 3) Richard Maunders most recent edition While the Schmitt
edition is still available from Breitkopf and Hartel it 1s controvers1al because of
- additions to the incomplete Credo section alterations of Mozarts instrumentation
bull of the Credo in unum deum cuts in the Laudamus and Et incarnatus and the
bull addition of an Agnus Dei movement using the same music as the opening Kyrie
All three edit ions however owe a great deal to Schmitts reconstruction of
bull the double choruses in the Sanctus and Osanna sections and for his revival of the
bull work which led to its inclusion in the standard choral repertory Landons edition
bull was the earliest modern edition using only the original torso though with his
- reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna (closely following Schmitts work with
mInor alterat1ons) and a careful real1zatlon of 1nstrumental parts the Credo 1n
- unum deum and Et incarnatus It is especially helpful that the edition identifies
bull
- 9
-
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
-bull
bull the added parts in square brackets or smaller type One appreciates Landons
sensItIvIty In never adding more than Is necessary and avoidIng stylisticbull incongruities
bull The Barenreiter edition made from the Neue Mozart AusQabe by Helmut Eder
and Richard Maunders edition are only variants of Landons edition The -reconstruction of the Sanctus and Osanna is very slmllar to that of Schmitt andbull Landon with minor changes though both editors have freely added to the- instrumental realizations of the Credo in unum deum and nEt incarnatus because
- staves were left empty in the autograph Unlike Landon they did have access to
bull the autograph after its eventual return to the Berlin State Library in 1977 but as
Landon predicted the emergence of the autograph did not change his interpretatIon bull
except in small detai Is Eder and Maunder seem in fact to overstep their bounds
bull by adding instrumental parts to the the Credo and nEt incarnatus for reasons
bull based only on conjecture In the end Landons edition seemed the logical choice in
planning the performance project that forms the basis of this essaybull
--bull
bull 10
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
-- The Mass Dur1ng Mozarts T1me
- Although the Mass as a genre in eighteenth-century Classicism and the Age
bull of Enlightenment was overshadowed by other musical forms such as opera and
- symphony it did not decline in importance The greatest composers of Masses
bull during this time were in fact the masters of symphony and opera Instead of
clinging to past traditions of sacred music they embraced the wealth of
bull expression offered in secular genres and used it in their sacred music with equal
bull conviction just as composers of the Renaissance drew upon the chanson and
bull madrigal and as composers of the Baroque had ava1led themselves of the
concerted style
bull The Masses of the Classic composers have often been criticized as not
bull reflecting the ideas and traditions of the Catholic church and its liturgy It is true
- that the emphasis on formal structure during this period somewhat superseded the
concern with the given text The form of a piece was dictated by musical logic
bull and l1turgical aspects were largely surrendered to musical ones because of the
- composers preoccupation with formal concepts
bull I t led to the introduction of the sonata and rondo forms into church music by
- such composers as Caldara Hasse Pergolesi and Jornmel11 Italians and Italianate
Germans were the leading composers of opera and the rising instrumental style
bull
bull 1 1
-
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741) having assumed the leadership of the Austrian
school
Fux was the foremost Catholic composer of his time as well as the author of the famous treat ise on counterpoint Gradus ad Parnassum in which the technique of the Palestrina style is codified This textbook remained in use well
into the nineteenth century and exerted a deep influence on the work of Haydn
Mozart and Beethoven I n his church music Fux cUI t ivated two kinds of style--the stile antico or stylus a cappella and the stylus mixtus or concerted style
Two of his eight masses suggest the a cappella style of Palestrinas K7 and K29
whlle K34 is siml1ar In orientation but the vocal parts are doubled by organ and
other Instruments The other five published Masses (K5 K10 K28 E12 E113)
belong to the stylus mixtus which includes more homophonic choral writing concertato elements often blended with double chorus writing as well as
elements of the German suite French Overture and Italian cantabile manner 8 In
his large-scale works which include Solemn Masses oratorios and operas Fux
used double chorus the contrast of solo and tutti recitative arioso arias with and w1thout Instrumental obbligato parts as well as genu1nely contrapuntal
8 The New Groye Dictjonary of Musjc and Musicians 1980 ed sv Johann Joseph Fux by Hellmut Federhofer (The works of Fux have been catalogued by Kochel (K) and Uess (Uwith liE representing Erganzung--supplement)
12
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
bull
bull
bull movements Thus the characteristics of opera and Instrumental music were fused
with the old sacred music tradition into a new musical expressionbull The symphonic style however exerted the strongest influence on the
bull composition of Masses Early eighteenth-century Masses can be considered
bull instrumental music 9 The individual sections are movements that place the
bull sound of the orchestra into the foreground and that of the voices into the
background Many of them open with veritable instrumental overtures and includebull
symphonic instrumental Interludes
bull The classical penchant for perfection formal beauty and dramatic
bull expression helped to overcome a certain dichotomy of funct1ons The group1ngs of
individual sections of the Mass was carefully planned For example It becamebull customary to pay obeisance to the older practice of repeating the music of the
bull opening Kyrie in a manner of a da capo as suggested by the form of the liturgical
bull text Thematic material was also repeated in the final sections of the Gloria and
Credo sections for symmetry and musical unity The sonata form was applied to abull Kyrie setting which usually began wlth a slow introduction (derived from the- French overture tradltion) followed by an allegro movement and it was also drawn
Into other parts of the Mass Occasionally several sections would imply a large -- 9 Paul Henry Lang Music In western Civllization (New York W W Norton amp
Company Inc 1941) p 705-bull 13
-
sonata form with a fugue for a cl imactic coda
The arIa style of opera and oratoriO began to dominate the Mass more so
than had been the case in the Baroque period Since liturgic text did not allow for the conventional da capo aria the structure of the arias was often in bipartite form Yet when the text called for recapitulation the da capo form was used
whereas it had been abandoned for example in Bachs BMinor Mass In Handels-- oratorios the form began to decline as well and it 1s particularly interesting to
consider the instances in which da capo arias were replaced by new forms in the changing versions of Messiah
Arias as well as the larger choral sections were set with great symphonic -- skill The use of polyphonic choruses and coloratura arias sometimes as passages
of choral movements created a finely balanced style Thus composers who used- the devices of opera and symphony helped to create a new and independent church style of the period
The Mass composition of Mozarts time therefore showed two clearly
noticeable tendencies The legacy of the Baroque as represented by the works of- Fux and Caldara and the new style of the Classical Ideal merged This new style of the symphon1c-polyphon1c Mass like the string quartet and symphony reached
its perfection in the works of Haydn and Mozart
14
bull
bull Mozarts Sacred Mus1c
bull
As a devout Catholic Mozart composed church music throughout his life At
the age of ten he wrote a short Kyrie (K 33) in Paris and in the final weeks of his
bull life he was working on the Requiem (K 626) Mozart composed over sixty sacred
bull works sixteen complete Masses the torso of the CMinor Mass the Requiem four
Litanies two Vespers and numerous smaller pieces Most of these works datebull from his time in Salzburg under the patronage of the Archbishop Colloredo The
bull only sacred works after his Salzburg period are the CMinor Mass the Requiem and
bull the famous Ave Verum Corpus
Mozart was exposed to numerous musical settings of the Mass during hisbull llfetime He was especially we 11 acquainted with the music of the Austrian court
bull conductor Karl Georg Reutter (1708-1782) 10 of the famous Johann Adolf Hasse
bull (1699-1783) who had studied with Alessandro Scarlatt i of the leading Salzburg
composers Ernst Eberl in (1702-1762) Anton C Adlgasser (1728-1777) the viol in-virtuoso J F Lolli (d 1778) Michael Haydn (1737-1806) the younger brother of
bull Haydn and of course his father Leopold Mozart (1719-1782) -
10 Mozart copied excerpts of his music for study purposes which have recently been identified as Reutters music rather than Mozarts See Karl- Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull
- 15
-
From June 1763 to November 1766 Leopo ld took Mozart on a grand European
tour which included visits to places in Southern Germany and Holland Brussels
PariS and London While in London the Mozarts became aquainted with J C Bach whose influence on Mozarts work remained profound After having returned to Salzburg the Mozart family spent several months in Vienna during which time
Mozart composed three Masses (K 13947a K 4947d and K 6561 a) These
works were firm Iy rooted in the Austrian tradit ion they are marked by fo lk-l ike
melodies and modest contrapuntal writ ing and also show I talian influences In the Austrian tradition the orchestra served mainly to reinforce the vocal parts
and to provide short preludes and interludes Violas were ommitted from the
string section but trombones were often used to double the alto tenor and bass
parts Mozart spent the greater part of 1769 in Salzburg where he composed the Missa Solemnis in C K 66 In this Mass trumpets and tympani are added to the
string and organ accompaniment and an operatiC style is apparent in the arias-Karl Gelr1nger notes s1mllarities In this mass to Adolf Hasses style and a significant change ln Mozarts development Wlthln twelve months Mozart has
moved from a conservative style to the latest fashion In contemporary music 11
11 Karl Geirlnger The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 363 16
-
bull
- In the t1me from December 1769 to March 1773 Mozart made three separate
journeys to I taly December 1769-March 1771 (at which time he studied-counterpoint w1th Padre MartinO August 1771-December 1771 and October 1771shy
bull March 1773 During this period Mozart composed only one Mass the Missa Brevis
bull in G K 140 but also two Litanies two Regina Coeli and an Offertorium These
works reflect the gay and brilliant NeapoJitan style as well as the more somber -passionate style foreshadowing the era of Storm and Stressbull
In April 1772 Count Col1oredo was installed as the Archbishop of Salzburg bull
and Mozart entered upon the problematic service under hIs patronage Now as a
servant of the Archbishop Mozart had to adjust his mus1c to the demands of his - patron The Masses became shorter and simpler and outside influences such as
that of the Neapolitan operatic style were tolerated less and less But under bull
these conditions Mozart nevertheless developed a language of sacred music that
bull was noble and yet light technically competent and yet free of ponderousness 12
It was from July to September 1773 that Mozart visited Vienna and came -under the influence of Franz Joseph Haydn Also dur1ng this time Mozart began
bull copying the music of Ernst Eberlin and Michael Haydn with whom he shared duties - at the Salzburg Court Mozart continued under the patronage of the Archbishop
bull 12 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C
Robb1ns Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 365
17-bull
bull
bull until he applied for discharge in August 1777 His final break with Colloredo did
bull not occur until March 1781
During his employment in Salzburg Mozart composed eleven Masses two Litanies two Vespers and one Dixit et Magnificat one Regina Coeli the Gradualshy
bull Sancta Maria and three Offertories The development of his Masses in particular
shows some unique ideas and influences The Mass in C K 167 dispenses with-soloists and strictly observes the liturgical precepts The flrst words of thebull Gloria and Credo for example are intoned by the priest The Gregorian melodies
bull drawn into the composition in such cases had also offered the Baroque artist the
bull opportunity to contrast unaccompanied chant with the ornamented and highly
elaborate structure of the finished work 13 The Missa Brevis in D K 194186hbull shows the influence of certain gestures towards conservatism found in Haydns
bull nMissa St Nicolai which was written two years earlier The nEt incarnatus
bull exceptionally is in a minor key and the Benedictus is sung by a solo quartet
both suggesting the practice of the older masters-- The Mfssa Longa in C K 262246a exhibits great polyphonic skill and K
259 the Mlssa Brevis In C Is an Organ Mass which was Influenced by the use of- organ obbligato 1n Haydns Mlssa St Joannl de Deo In the Mlssae Breves K 258
bull 13 See Paul Henry Lang Music in Western Cjvilization (New York W W
Norton and Comapny Inc) p 370 bull
bull 18
bull
bull
- and K 27S272b Mozart shows a particular concern with rendering the meaning of
-bull the words and his textures are lucid though permeated by contrapuntal skil1
Musical consistency remains of the utmost importance and accompanimental
motives help unify the work
bull The Coronation Mass K 317 and the Missa Solemnis in C K 337 continue the
bull long tradition of CMajor Masses of Mozarts Salzburg period (1773-1780) They
are marked by the mentioned typical orchestration which in the Salzburg
tradition omits the violas and includes three trombones to reinforce the lower
bull three choral parts Both Masses contain soprano solo passages in the Agnus Dei
bull passages whlal Mozart used later 1n Le Nozze d1 F1garo for the role of the
Countess The Coronat ion Mass is rounded off by a reappearance of the Kyriebull theme in the Dona Nobis There are interesting touches of scoring in the Agnus- Dei of K 337 a so 10 soprano is combined with a concertante trio of oboe bassoon
bull and organ obbligato in the Et incarnatus of K 317 there is a use of muted violins
in descending thirty-second notes to symbolize the mystery of the incarnation-After Mozart left Salzburg only four more sacred compositions were
bull written Two--the Mass in CMinor and the Requlem--were left incomplete and one
bull --the Ave Verum--of very small proportions These however were among his
bull greatest achievements The Kyrie in d minor K 341 368a represents an emphatiC
bull 19-
bull
bull
- break from the Salzburg key of C Major in it Mozart employed a large orchestra
bull including two clarinets and four horns but no solo voices The great CMinor Mass
- K 427417a considerably more extensive than any previous work includes five-
part and eight-part choruses supported by a full orchestra Reflecting a totally
bull new influence of Baroque polyphony the works completed movements belong to
the greatest products of Austrian church music 14 (A listing of Mozarts Masses -is given in Table I on page 118)-
--bull
--
-bull
bull
- 14 Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H D Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 361
bull 20-
bull
bull
- The CM1nor Mass Part I
bull After Mozart finally broke from the Archbishops employ during which he
bull had composed as many as three Masses a year it took him over two years before he
bull began working on the CMinor Mass With no commission no set performance date
he was free from restriction free to be guided entirely by his artistic impulse-What he evidently planned was a great Cantata Mass model1ed after such works as
bull Florian Gassmanns Mlssa St CaeCiliae Georg Reutters Missa Sanct CarolL
bull Haydns Missa St Caecellae or J S Bachs BMinor Mass But what resulted was a
work of totally novel scope and character The only work according to Alfred -Einstein that stands between Bachs BMInor Mass and Beethovens Mlssabull Solemnis 15
bull
bull KYRIE
Like a manifesto the opening chord of the work announces a new phase in-l1ozarts creative career Given the circumstances of the conscious gesture
bull towards the composers young bride one might imagine a serene choice of key and
bull general tone But the deep seriousness of the Cminor beginning suggests an
bull 15 Alfred Einstein Mozart trans Arthur Mendel and Nathan Broder (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 348
bull 21-
-
bull
bull entirely different choice
The somber key of C minor recurs in some of Mozarts most significantbull p1ano works--the Fantasies K396 and 475 and the Sonata K457-- in some of his- most significant chamber music works--the String Quintet K406 the Adagio and
Fugue K546 and the opening of the Dissonance Quartet K465--as we11 as in the -great Piano Concerto K491 With such works as Glucks Orfeo and Beethovens-String Quartet op 18 no 4 and his Fifth Symphony the key of CMinor assumed a
bull certain symbolic force in the ClassiC era best expressed by the title of
bull Beethovens Sonate PathHjgue but nowhere does the sense of an artistic reshy
orientatfon seem more strongly expressed than In the first measures of Mozarts C -- Minor Mass
Mozart includes three trombones in the orchestration (according to the
bull Salzburg tradition) which double the alto tenor and bass parts and provide a
bull solemn and austere timbre to the texture It is interesting however that the
quality of C Minor remains merely an announcement--it does not recur in the later-- portions of the work Yet it seems powerfully confirmed by the opening motifs of
the chorus The arpegglated descent through the CmInor triad establ1shes a
bull principle of contrapuntal strictness pervading major sections of the Mass--lts
melodic progression is inverted in the first entrance of the chorus At the same -bull
- 22
bull
-- time it introduces the Sigh motifs and the strongly insistent haunting tone
repetitions that follow as the theme unfolds and with chromatically formed heavy-embellishments on the strong beats returns through the octave span to the-
- opening chord (see Ex 1)
The first choral entrances are almost strictly canoniC and with the
- immediate return of the orchestral ritornello the prevailing tone of starkness
receives a new dimension An ostinato-l ike dotted rhythm in the orchestralbull
basses announces a majestic Baroque gesture which is to become of major- importance in later sections of the work With a chromatic countertheme in the
chorus slowly mov1ng through the three upper v01ces the total score almost-- assumes the texture of a triple fugue (see Ex 2) Its manifold contrasts are
resolved as the movement reaches its middle section - But even this structural point Is made with somber complexity What seems
1ike a dominant section in which the opening orchestral statement is joined to a -renewed choral Invocation is in reality merely a concluding phrase The middle-section begins in the key of the relative major and a completely new mode of
bull expression begins The sololsts--Constanzes--part enters The Kyrie setting that Mozart placed at the beginning of his Mass contains
such an abundance of closely woven weighty ideas that only a work of monumental- 23
-
-- Example 1
-------bull
Viollno I
Violino II
Viola
Sopmno
1J Alto Ii
Organo Violoncello
~ntrabasso ~
A
o
I
t Fg
p
A 82 or (e) I
~ p
1lt1 1lt1
OJ
A
I
-P shy~ 3 ~
bullbull shy~ 4f - ~ ~
2shy 3 Trombone Alto coli A1t~
TTtOIIIbone T1IClft TellON
I 1loaIboM Haaltgt q B_
Andante modemlo Tasto Solo
p
5 r I J I I
4 ~ J _ 11 f] I
- [J1
VI I
A
~~-- - bull I~-
bull ~VI II
la
bull S-A-T-
- B
bull OrgVic
r
4
A
oJ pr r r Trombone
A
P Trombone
_ Ky rio e shy let bull BOne
Tm1 ~Obe
__ sect Ky _ r1 e e let shy
lTutti TroG1bon~
r ~
__ If ~ Ky - rie e bull
TutU TIomooa
Ky bull rio
I
~
S TutU - shy
r r r r
I I I
e Cb
24-bull
bull
- Example 2
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
--bull
bull
A 1 bull 2
r f I
~ ft ~ ii bull 2 It OJ riJ A
~
rfJ
rt1 tiro-shy
f - ~ - I -
~ f shy c-- shy iI - I
1 r I 8 q 10
I lei son Ky ri 0 0 - I II
t) ~ - Ron 0 bull loi bull lion
II OJ
lot - 11011 --
0 e bull lei son
41 ~ 13 ~-TutU
f IIIol--II ---bull 25
bull
bull
- proportions could follow from it On the other hand the grandeur of the Kyrie
called for a thorough change in the setting of the Christe text By tradition the-- Chrlste setting of Masses was formed by a gentle style in contrast to the Kyrie It
is here kept in cantabile manner a tender virtuoso piece for solo soprano (see Ex - 3) The melodic shape also changes as the soloist presents an expressive line over
bull a homophonic accompaniment which includes short choral responses The
disposition of performance forces is a reflection of the concerto principle thebull
soloists voice rises from the choir in the manner of the traditional concertist
bull and the chorus now adapted in its entrances to the character of the solo part acts
as a rltornell0 The development of the solo melody suggests Mozarts Intimate -knowledge of the vocal fdiom and the dramatic effects it can achieve The closingbull theme is echoed by the chorus and the final six measures are a quasi-cadenza
bull ending It is remarkable how a complete little concerto movement is inserted in
bull this gesture to the soloist into the opening chorus without disturbing the design of
the movement-- The history of this sect10n can be traced back to August 1782 probably a
short t1me after Mozart and Constanze were marr1ed on August 4 1782 A -- Solfeggio in F KV 393 (385b Number 2 of a set of four) which was written as a
bull 26-
bull
-- Example 3
- (II
Fg
3)
I p~ IA bull P
f -- Cor (e) 7
ll~ p r
IP
i-~ ~ ~
VlI I
-lUI
middotoJ Igt Ii ~- li~rI I
Via
I I
Soprano Solo (J)
-I
Jm
--
Lil Sol0
fT ellrt _10 o ~
s bull
A
bull T
- n 000
I ~ lIolo ~
OrvmiddotVIc bull a
bull VI
bull VI
~ A
J~ u
~ Ii
iIiPF-1-
~=- =- J i
-- ~
o let IMtml TUI~Trarcb
rt rt
bull VI
-tr- shy
So10 I
101 _0 _ 000 Chrt 0
TlItli A
-s
Chri _ IMIa
TIII NampUA Tnmb
A
C~ I TUIlIIfOIDa 1rorftb
A
M
-T
B
0 Ie oon
I I I I
bull -Org Vie
bull oCb
- 27
bull
--bull vocalise for Constanze contains almost identical melodic material (see Ex 4)
Mozart transposed the work from FMajor to Eb) doub led the rhythmic values) and- slightly altered the melody to fit the text The only major change is the deletion
- of the last eight measures of the Solfeggio They were replaced by the new
coloratura ending and a choral interpolation that connects the phrases of the-- soloist (see Ex 5 and 6) The existence of this piece suggests that Constanze was
in fact a fine singer and entirely suited for the demanding solo role given to her in - the Mass
As the closing section begins) the principal theme is heard In the relative-major with a return of the secondary fugal theme in the soprano and thebull orchestral dotted-note theme in the celli and basses suggesting the element of
bull recapitulation in the very deliberate manner in which the structure of the
bull movement is worked out The recapitulation) however quickly moves back to C
minor for the remainder of the fugal entrances and the return of the theme and-counterthemes and with a deceptive cadence and short coda the movement is
concluded
---- 28
-
-- Example 4
-- II Solfeggio in F
- KV 393 385b)Nr2
Adagio
--
-
-
---- 29
bullbullbull
-- Example 5
---
-ion I leishy on e lei -
62 Ir Tutt SSoIo hshy- I tr
=---shy- I lei on Jul$lt lelshy _
Chn ~ - iei- son - bull
rrrf
~ s Solo r- ~ --shy
~
I v II b h ~
- -
II
-
- -- ~ h 1 I-- h ~
--- STuHi
soJt Ky --
Ob
Jc
lei
Ie
~
gton
1 J
-- 30
-
bull
bull Example 6
--bull
bull ~mlm--~J
bull ~ =fe9I=~~= I ~uI 18 ~ ~
bull I ~= L I0U
fEI~u t I bull 21 tr Ii 110101 -- -shy
- ~~~~~~ bull
bull
bull
bull
bull
bull 31
bull
bull
- GLORIA
- In its long history the musical setting of the Mass underwent profound
- changes and bold innovations were balanced again and again by the conservative
- tendencies of church music practice The medieval unaccompanied chanting of the
Mass lived on in brief Gregorian intonations of which we find an example even at
- the beginning of the Gloria in Mozarts Mass it underlines the fact that this
monumental work was still meant to be placed in liturgical context
Just as the chanted Mass gave way to the motet setting of the Mass with the
dawn of the Renaissance the latter style began to change to aconcerted style
- with the advent of opera and other dramatic forms of music at the beginning of the
- seventeenth century The transition however was a very gradual one and it was
- largely due to the continuing hegemony of the Mass as a musical form that the
split into a stile antico and a stile moderno became acknowledged in Monteverdfs time Monteverdi himself set the model for Mass composition in both styles and
- the purely choral motet style remained a living practice for a long time thereafter
bull The Mass now became a symbol not only of the most elaborate expression of
- the polyphonic liturgy but also of the purest form In which the great polyphonic
legacy was preserved This dichotomy of purpose had a decisive Influence on the
matter of musical structure an influence that made 1tself felt especially in the
- 32
-- Gloria of the Mass
Whereas the Kyrle lIke the 5anctus suggests In the design of the text a
readily given musical form--in the case of the Kyrie tri-partite (Kyrie-Christeshy- Kyrie) and in the case of the Sanctus bi-partite (Sanctus-Osanna)--the Gloria like the Credo invites more comp lex structures because of a text design that is more
- narrative and more extensive It was here that the opportunity for inserting arias
between choral portions arose and the influence of both opera and of the sacred concerto became noticeable the latter form having developed particularly in the Protestant music practice
Through Luther the Mass had passed Into the Protestant service But here
too both stile antlco and stile moderno continued to rule side by side Heinrich til
SchUtz had combined in his German Requiem different movements designated either as motet or sacred concerto But in the writing of Johann Theile (1646shy 1724) who had studied with SchUtz we find also a Mass in strict a-cappella style
It apparently set the example for Buxtehude Theiles close collegue who also left-a four-part setting of the Mass in the traditional style
The Mass settings by German Protestant composers fo llowed the pattern of the Missa Brevis consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria sections only and omitting the
Catholic Creed It is also the pattern that originally served for Bachs BMlnorbull 33
-
bull
- t1ass because what Bach composed in 1733 was a Kyrie-Gloria Missa intended as
- a complete work which was only later widened to the setting of the entire Mass
- text
In the Missa of 1733 Bach had observed a traditional diviSion of the Gloria
bull text in planning merely a choral frame consisting of the beginning and end of the
- text (Gloria in excelsis with Et in terra pax and Cum sancto spiritu) though
- he allotted also the Gratias and Qui tollis to the chorus The remaining
sections are arias and this pattern--by and large--was becoming accepted for the
bull Missa Solemnls the festive setting of the Mass the Cum sancto spiritu often
bull even In later periods forming an elaborate fugue
- It is likely that Mozart knew the BMinor Mass In 1777 Baron van SWieten
- who had been Ambassador in Berl in began to introduce the music of Handel J S
Bach and C P E Bach to Vienna It was in van Swietens palace that Haydn Mozart
bull and Beethoven became acquainted with most of the music of Bach and Handel they
- were to encounter during their lives This included only a small portion of Bachs
music known at that time primarlly keyboard works such as the Well-Tempered
Clavier and the Art of the Fugue Haydn however probably through van Swletens
bull help acquired also a nicely written and highly valued copy of the BMinor Mass 16
bull 16 Gerhard Herz Essays on J S Bach (Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985) P 189
bull 34
-
-- It is possible that in the early 1780s when the close association of Haydn and
Mozart developed Mozart learned of the monumental work and perhaps even
- studied Haydns copy of the score A parallel situation seems to have existed with
- regard to Fuxs famous Gradus ad Parnassum with which Mozart evidently also
became acquajnted through Haydns copy 17
The Viennese church music tradition included works of almost comparable
magnitude works which Mozart knew and heard such as the Cantata Masses of
Gassmann and Reutter all following the model of Fux The dichotomy of old and
modern styles In the composition of Masses had found Its strongest expression in
Fuxs work His famous Missa Canonica an a-cappella setting written entirely in
- strict canon stands next to extensive works in which the contrapuntal art is
blended with higrlly dramatic means Fuxs Missa Corporis Christi contains a Gloria divided into nine sections alternating solos and duets wlth choruses in
- carefully planned key relationships The various sections however do not as yet
stand as separate movements
HaydnS early Masses contained Gloria settings divided into three or four more clearly distinguished movements His Mlssa Sanctae Caeciliae (the third
17 See Alfred Mann Theory and Practice (New York W W Norton and
Company 1987) p 42 48
35
-
III
---
Mass composed in 1766 in honor of the patroness of music for the yearly meet ing
of the Cecil ian Brotherhood in St Stephans Cathedral In Vienna) contains a sevenshy
fold Gloria and its last text portions forms an extended fugue of ninety-three
measures with unrelenting contrapuntal activity not unlike Mozarts Cum Sancto - chorus in the CMinor Mass Similarly extensive are the movements for solo voices
- interpo lated between the choruses
Mozart composed only two other Masses which contain Gloria settings of this magnitude The Missa Solemnis in CMinor K139 (47a) or Waisenhausmesse
which was composed in Vienna during the autumn of 1768 and performed before the -- Imperial court on December 7 1768 at the dedication ceremony of the
Waisenhauskirche and the Missa in C K66 or Dominicus Mass which was bull
performed in October 1769 at the first Mass celebrated by Mozarts friend Cajetan
Hagenauer (Father Dominicus) Both works were conceived as large Cantata Masses -composed in the grand style especially suited to the festive occasions-
The Gloria of the CM1nor Mass is divided Into seven sections organized and unified through the use of carefully matched key areas wh1ch form one large
harmonic cycle from the opening C Major of the Gloria in excelsis to the closing
- 36
- CMajor of the Jesu Christe and Cum Sancto Spiritu as shown below
Gloria In excelsis
Laudamus te-Gratias Domine
Qui tollis
Quoniambull
Jesu Christe-Cum Sancto
CMajor (I)
Fmajor(IV)
a minor (vi)
d minor (Ii)
g minor (v-V)
e minor (iii)
CMajor (I)
Tonal1ty and key relationships have now become decidedly unifying factors of
compos1tlon
1n conscious distinction to the Kyrle Mozarts Gloria opens with bright C
Major chords adorned In a manner that goes back to medieval Gloria settings with the sound of brass fanfares The first statement stands by itself What follows Is a fugal theme introduced in stretto entrances and archaic in flavor Its
exposition recalls old polyphonic practice of terse statements densely woven in a
polyphonic fabriC but the harmonic planning is transparent and of stately simplicity leading to fanfare-I ike phrases over a pedal point for the choral
exclamations in excelsls Similar to the Hallelujah sections of Handels anthem
choruses (see Ex 7)
- 37
------------------
------------
Example 7 -
-e
glo ~ --
glo
in ex-crmiddot
12 Jh
bull
-
- ~--
De-o gio shy 16
- 0 in ell ctI shy--
in
In
----shy-X-eel bull ~- - ~ Jl5- Oeshy u in h-Celshy
n
sis De- o in - - 19
-i_ Demiddot 0 In excelmiddotI$ In excd- iLS in excelmiddot illS
si_ Demiddot o In t ctl~ $15 mCXct ~ S$ int~eet sil
-=== - -eel - - ~gt [ie-n III e~1~ Is fl ~tCeI- SIi 11 neel sis
-cd Sigt De o 10 ~lcd- $I~ ill ecel- 11 neel sis
- 38
-
-- The setting of Et in terra pax provides a striking contrast with a gentle
melodic theme introduced in the soprano and imitated by the other sections
Though suggesting the typical second theme of a symphonic form it is set in a motet-like style with a new motif following and again introducted imitatively in
each section It is accompanied by a playful countermotive in the viol1ns Here the
intrinsically vocal style is clearly juxtaposed with the instrumental style of the
Classical period (see Ex 8)
The middle section is interrupted once more by densely woven contrapuntal
entrances and choral fanfares and the principal themes are resumed creating a
type of condensed recapitulation Mozart avoids a formal development The terse
- form at which he arrived however produces a balanced structure which is in
reality an intense expression of sonata form
- laudamus te
- The setting of Laudamus te is the first full-fledged aria in the Mass It is
scored for soprano solo oboes horns and strlngs--slmllar in style and
- Instrumentation to the motet Exultate Jubilate K 165 written in 1773--and the
- influence of the blending of vocal and instrumental genres is evident also in this
- 39
--
1- Example 8
----
e Cb -
A
Ob ti - - -- a
Fg
Cor I
(c) ti --J V --
Tr 1
(C) t) ~ V -J
rimp
Ii J
nl 1 r
Vlll
p -1 l
r ~ p------W
Via - I I A - P
S eel-Mh in ox-ccl His et t tor
nr-TrabJ11
A t)
c~l_ Mis m~xcol ~i8 ot rw
T I
coltw in cx_col - Si8 (sen Tromb]
B eelMis in oxeol - llis ct in
Org Testa Halo Vlc
A 25 Corbull (e)
-u
ra in tel _ 18 pax ho bull mt n~bUH
tlt
io~ ra in) tor- rapax ho - mi - ni-bus I sen- Tromb
- ~paxhplusmn ct in for ni-bul
ti p-- _
-- ~ 11
VLI ~~ I~ - ~ VLU I~i~ vmiddot~
~ II_1I11~ --shy u_shyP
_ VIamp
s bo ---shy - I
A -- T
8 -~ 1amptllr pall ho _ ml bull Wus
~ VIcbull
s
~bull Ch
40
r-iI bull bull -- - 80 fiiii bull a iiiiI bull Ii -- 11 ~ ti I - Ex 8 cont VlU
VlA
- It
8 ta I
- A ~ I-
T VO ~n
middotc=
bo - nao - ~ 6 ~ j II
B
~~ S H Org - Vie 8th
Ob
bull Fg
Cor (C) -
- Th IC)
Timp
- VII ln
- VIa
S
A -T -
flvo lun - ta tiS - B
1 ~ iOrg -VJe 11- fbull eCb
41
fii ~ 11=_
10 I fiif
t1 po lIP IIIJ
lun shyYOnao -CJ -~ noo i~ bo shyA
nnobo
ntshy
L J
l- t~ It Jtfshy J
If J A
bull A 1
bull
f
--shy a-- bull - CJ - l r IA - - JII bull 8 1
WI - j bull ~
n
f JI f bull shy ~ ito Glo na In n middot -A JTtcmII
~ 11 - o~ middot till
1 pound~J- i
OJ
tSshy tillbull Glo rLa In excellaquoiIr n middot
bull
-
-- movement It is a genuine operatic aria that includes bravura elements of vocal
- display in a quasi-da capo form
- Mozart had completed in the same year Die EntfOhrung aus dem Serai which
contains the famous coloratura arias Ach ich liebte and Martern aller Arten
- written for Catarina Cavalieri The work was his second major opera (after
- Idomeneo composed a year earl ier) and in these arias Mozart fused Ital ian
- melody and virtuosity with symphonic idioms to produce a new style for the genre
of the German Singspiel Martern aller Arten even includes obbligato woodwinds
bull which Mozart was to later use in the Et incarnatus est of the Mass
- Given the fact that Mozart had Constanze in mind when he wrote the arIas
- for the CMinor Mass one of his primary motives in composing the work was to
- present her with the wonderful soprano solos and thus increase his famllys
respect for her as they heard her perform them 18 It is difficult to assume
however that Constanze sang all of them considering the fact that the Laudamus
- te and Et incarnatus are so very different in style and tessitura There must
- have been another soprano of equal talent and stature present at the premiere
because all of the ensembles calJ for two sopranos Francis Carr has suggested - that the singer Margarete Marchand a frtend of the Mozarts who was staying wtth
- 18 John N Burk tlozart and His Music (New York Random House 1959) p
- 263
- 42
bull
the family in Salzburg at the time and studying with Leopold may have been the
other soprano 19 In any event the Laudamus te was written for a voice with a -wide range and an agile technique in order to execute the difficult coloratura- passages and wide intervallic leaps
Modern conductors have traditionally assigned this aria to the second-soprano because of its reIat ive Iy low tess i tura We know that Constanze sang the Christe and assume that she also sang Et incarnatus est which has a much higher tessitura than Laudamus te If this assumption 1s correct then Mozart
- would have 1ntroduced the first soprano Constanze with the Christe the second
soprano with Laudamus te and combined their voices in the Domine duet-- Quoniam trio (with tenor) and Benedictus quartet the featured aria for the
first soprano then being saved for the Et incarnatus est of the Credo section
This would have provided a balance for both the solos and ensembles
-- The Laudamus te is in three sections in which once again elements of
sonata form and the da capo ar1a form are conspicuously merged A middle section 1n the dom1nant takes the place of a development sect10n qu1te 1n the manner of a
19 Francis Carr l1ozart and Constanze (London John Murray Publ1shers Ltd -1983) pp 69-70
43
-- da capo aria but instead of a break or dramatic pause Mozart provides a short
transltlon and the return to the openIng sectIon resembles a passage leadlng from-development to recapitulation rather than a genuine da capo (see Ex 9) The- character of recapitulation in fact is confirmed by the reappearance of what
might be considered a second theme though it once more defines the dom inant -area as it did in the opening section The tonic is reached and confirmed with a -
- brief turn to the subdominant through vocal passagi (see Ex 10) The work fully
retains the nature of an aria The bravura elements have been severely criticized by critics such as Eric
Blom He calls the soprano solos of the CMInor Mass worldly 1rreverent and-- frivilously operatic to glorify the singer only 20 On the other hand Dyne1ey
Hussey says that the bravura arias are a justified expression of praise the - setting-forth to Gods honor of the finest achievements of mans art 21 This aria
is Mozarts deeply felt expresston of the words of the Gloria text We praise thee -- we bless thee we adore thee we glorify thee
20 Eric B10m Mozart (London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952) p 174
21 Dyneley Hussey Wolfgang Amade Mozart (Freeport New York Books for -Libraries Press 1969) p 274-
- 44
-
-- Example 9
--- 135 ----- ~
--
-lei bullt ~Imiddot - fi-
lau middotda-musCd~ muamp_ Oi- _
ie _ )T-I --
JTII rn
~ - 1fp~ - $=1- nlfP--tfp ~ I
--
140
f
144--- I I I I I I
taL d~~ ~ -
l1l Itshy - h ~ ~- - ~ ~ shy
- -shy
I ~
1 rr shy J= - ~
I I ii ~~ f ~
152 -
- - 45
-
be - di - 1~- CI - rnus_ shy- Cshy
ogt ~p - f ~ I
--
---1
I
-- Example 10
-
---J - Vi I r
Vin -y shy- plusmnshy
bull ---
iii ~
VIa
- -Sopr bull
~-- shy
-Solo
- shy - = - - ua
8 76 flOrg =
6 S VIc
~ shyo Ch
VLI
195
bull
--- 6
fp fp JP
bull Ob
~ -VU
Vln
bull VI
--
VlI
VlU
Org Vic o Ch
Ff= ~-- -
shy- -190
-
Vla
Sopr Solo
Org VIc eCh
fp
g10 bull ri - fi 6_ 6_
shy
ii_ PI
f
roW teo
f
46--
--- Gratias
The Gratias chorus is the first in the Mass to show a pronounced turn- to an earlier choral style Evidently inspired by the words propter magnam
gloriam tuam (for Thy great glory) which are emphasized by forte entrances -Mozart placed here a powerful choral episode between two extended solo numbers-which it impressively overshadows despite its brevity (twelve measures see Ex-11) The majestic dotted rhythm first developed in the orchestral bass of the Kyrie now dominates the entire score and underl1nes its imposing archaic
character But what lends this short chorus equal weight Is Its harmonic language- the immediacy of its diminished seventh-chord suspensions its overall
modulatory nature The choral sound is widened to five-part scoring the festive- sonority that Bach reserved for such works as the Magnificat and BMinor Mass
The texture of tightly staggered stretto entrances gives way to chordal -- declamation The opening A Major chord leads to an echo-like A Minor ending The
total viSion-like appearance of the chorus sets a tone never encountered in Mozarts work before it seems to foreshadow the Requiem
---- 47
-
-- Example 11
-proshy piC mashy - ~lampll
fJ1shy pte - Roam ma
ma-
o gnam
pter 11(0 ~ pfer ma~ - joam shy gl1(1m ptl(h n-am t J(liI shy-
am
am
-bull
--
48-
Dom1ne Deus
- Whereas the solo voice in the aria setting of the Laudamus was
accompanied by the full sonority of the symphonic ensemble involving oboes and horns the setting of Domine Deus returns to the unadorned string sound which essentially formed also the accompaniment for the soloistic middle section of the
Kyrie chorus the text returns to Christ God the Son In contrast to the preceding
solo sections however here it is not the solo voice that dominates the concerted texture but the vocal duet The two soprano soloists that (presumably) were heard in turn before now appear together
There are reasons of design and balance that must have guided Mozart In the- choice of vocal and instrumental means as well as deeper reasons founded in the
meaning of the text and its interpretation in the tradition of Mass composition Bach had scored the Domine Deus in the BMinor Mass for vocal duet representing
the union of God the Father and God the Son by the symbolically merged settings of
Domine Deus Rex coelestis Deus Pater omnlpotens (0 Lord God King of heaven
God the Father Almighty) and Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime (0
Lord Jesus Chrlst the only-begotten Son high above aIr) as the name of Chrlst reappears in the Mass lt Is enhanced by the expl1c1t reference to dlvlne duality
Express ng it 1ike Bach 1 n the texture of voca1duet Mozart has the first soprano-
49
-- introduce the opening text alone with a rising melodic line representing God the
Father In answer1 the second soprano sings a descending melodic l1ne symbolizing-the descent of Jesus Christ-
It is in the third section of the Domine text (Domine Deus 1 Agnus Dei 1 Filius
- Patris transl 0 Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father) that Mozart lets both
voices sing the same text thus stressing the oneness of the Father and the Son-- He intensifies this expression by giving them the same melodic material in close
canon - We are dealing here with traditional suggestions What is new in Mozarts
setting is to find them joined to the texture and structure of the classical genre -- The duet opens with the transparent sound of violins in unison with violas and
- cellos in octaves This two-part counterpoint expands to three voices at the first
vocal entrance with violins I and II in imitative counterpoint and eventually to
bull four-parts (double canon) as the soloist sings God the Father almighty The
thought is expressed with a large melodic and rhythmic gesture which later is -resumed by both voices in contrary motion (see Ex12)
bull Not only does Mozart use texture rhythm and melody as descriptive
devices he also uses the dimension of tonality As each of the vo1ces 1ntroduces -the opening theme Soprano I in DMinor and Soprano II in the relative F Major the-
bull
- 50
-
--
--
bull 230 tr --- shyvu
ItJ P
- II
Example 12 Vln ~ -pshyp -IV ~
-hI shyA - Vla =
P
tr -- shySop 1 - Solo tJ
Rcx_ cooDe U8Do - ~_no Rox coo 10 1lti8 -
Soprn ~ Solo
tJ
Qtv - Vlc e Cb - -
tJ 11
Vln - ~l -tJ wtshy -rI I -t=--shy
I Vla -
A
bull Sqprl
-Solo oJ bull
le-stlllt Do shy us Pa shy tor
II Soprll Solo
tJ
5 7 S
- Org Vle o Cb ~ ~ -
240 tr A ~ bullbull shy
VlI f - cI
- lut -shy ---shy
-- Via - -
shy---- tr Sopr Solo
II Do - us Pa - - mnltoIl - ~ms
tr11SoprlJ - Solo u _Do mi-ne Fi -li c ___)
bull[ -- s f3 bull TutO(Solo]J
Org - Vic
-- e Cb
51-
5
first half of each phrase 1s followed by the motH quoted in Example 12 The
eternal nature or the Father and the Son Is expressed In by a cirCle or rlfths
(measures 235-242 d--gtg--gtC--gtF--gtBb-gtC--gtF) The most dramatic moment finally occurs in the last portion of the movement as the soloists sing Agnus Dei
Filius patris (Lamb of God Son of the Father) each voice decorating the word - Patris with coloratura and now executing the dotted-half-note motif in
enormously wide intervals Here the symbolism becomes three-fold Soprano sings Patris while Soprano II sings Agnus and as the voices descend and ascend
one against the other the high notes are repeated in alternating measures
dwell1ng on the concept of the supreme divine Identity (see Ex 13) This c11max 1s
introduced all the more organically since its essential devices of part writing-shy
contrary motion and close imitation-conspicuously permeate the movement from the first measure to the last
Qui tol1is
The Gloria reaches its high point in the setting of Qui toll is Here Mozart turns fully to the old style The archa1c symbols aSSOCiated with the chaconne
bass and dotted rhythms dom1nate the movement and the choral writing expands - from the five-part Gratias chorus to an eight-part double chorus with the full
52
-
bull
Vll
Vln
Example 13 - VIa
~prI SOlo -o~U Solo -OrgVIc
o Cb --
II 11 IIbull VI I- Vln
IV - Ilillll ~ VIa
OJ
-
I Pa - trls Fi - Ii Ul
A --_I - ~
---
-II -- S~l - Solo
Fi Jjua
Sopeli
- Solo IV - === -~ trts Fi
~3 6 ~[ ] 13
6
Qv- Vlc bull 0bull ctgt
2110 411shy
r
bull I
cgt Pa trL Fi-Ii U8_
1 shy
~ - VlI1 II
VIa ~ A -- --lopc[
Solo Pn
SopcU
-Solo
0 - Ii-us Ill- t-ill A gnus Domiddot i Fi H
Ilt 6 S I JbullOrg shy
lc fgt Ch -
bull 53-
-
A
I
bull -
A - - - bis A gnus Do I F1 - Ii U8 A - shy
FiU-bull --- shy -tr1ll US_ Pa bull - ~3
6
v
-- Ex 13 cent
----
SopJ Solo
tris A bull
--
A
OJ
- -p
- - - - gnus
v
- - tm Fl Ii U
- -7
VtI A
VIU ~~ 71a
SopI
-300 -- ---
fI ltP~ I-~~ bull I~_~ __li --- -
middotmiddot0- - --L -
-Solo -
Sopt II Solo
_ 7 q~--- 5 6
3 J-eIIOry -
Vic - eCb
bull
- -
--bull
--
VII
VlII
VI
SopzI 8010
SopzO Sola
Org Vie
eCb
---
Pi Ii
De bull i F
7 bull 3
shy
shyus_ P trts
hus Pa tril
5 Ta_ SolotJ
- 54
-
bull
- orchestra in which the trombones heretofore merely supporting the three lower
- choral sections now assume independent parts (see Ex 14)
- The chaconne bass built on a chromatically descending tetrachord a
hallmark of the lament in tragedies of the Baroque era appears as a boldly foreign
bull and thus doubly weighty element in Mozarts writing One is reminded of Bachs
- great chaconne in the Crucifixus of the BMjnor Mass It is here merged with the
- continuous dotted rhythm which in the Passion settings of the Baroque symbolized
the flogging and torturing of the Savior This rhythmic motif assumes a striking - role in Handels Messiah (see Ex 15 a b c)--the work that Mozart was
- commissioned to re-orchestrate for the oratorio performances initiated by van
- Swieten
While the Qui tollis is marked by style characterstics totally new to
bull Mozarts writing it also serves as a reminder of the considerable experience
bull Mozart had gathered in dealing with the genre of sacred music Our church music
- is quite different from that of Italy he wrote to Padre Martini his mentor in
- early years of study in a letter dated September 4 1776 and referring to the
brevity of the Mass service required at the Salzburg court But much that he had - gained from the experience of his Italian travels cont1nued to give his church
- music its special quality
bull
- 55
-
- L8rgt
20bo
2 Fagotti
2 Cornlln G Example 14 - IA
Tromboni m- VloUno I
- Vlollna II
at
rv
Ii
Ifi [jI
- (fl-
[fl
I
--
-- 0
- II 0 U
-bull
---bull
-------
_c_--lS_
-
=
VIola
S0l~na ~ Alto
TpnQ ~ Sa
56
-- Example 15 a Messiah Alto Aria He Was Despised
--
-bull
Example 15 b Mess1ah Chorus Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs - 1 ---- IT) -=-shy (on lip
- - mz= d
~ ~
- === - ~
v Su-~Il
~ sumiddot ft-Iy HMlh
-shy ~- J
I~ Sumiddot tt Iy IU rrmiddotly H--h bull ----I-A-
Surly Hh 1
Example 15 c Messiah Reclt All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
bull
---bull
--
nNOI - tSOnANOf
-57-
-
bull
- The idea for the imposing choral entrances in the Qui tollis from the (
Minor Mass 1s based on a QuI to1l1s from the Mass K 66 which Mozart had-composed in 1769 the year of his first Italian sojourn (see Ex 16) a solemn- Mass of major proportions The impetus Mozart received from the earlier work gives rise to a considerably wider scope as is immediately evident from the
_ complex harmonic reinterpretatIon and the overlapping antiphonal phrase
structure The double-chorus texture also an Italian tralt was--while again seemingly foreign to the composers style--also not new to Mozart It appears
bull first in the Offertory K 260 (1776) Venite populi a psalm setting whose
antiphonal scor1ng must have been insp1red by the text to render the 1mpresslon of-the multltude ((ome all ye nations see Ex 17) It is handled with remarkable skill by the twenty-year-old for the antiphony of two four-part choirs is - enhanced by various solo passages and intricate combinations of different voices
bull that f1nally lead to an extended eight-part fugal exposition of the opening theme
In the CMinor Mass the choral setting In eight parts may be considered to be- prompted by two 1ncent1ves Mozart was concerned with a large-scale concept of
form in wh1ch the means of sonority and complexlty of part wr1tlng were - conSistently increased through the reference to earler styles and he was
58
-
bull
- Example 16
-- - - 63 J J
- J l p f ~ ~-- shy --- ~ =
I ~I
I r I ~iJ
~i1
ltT - P r
t P IT I ~
-- (
tllto t P
+J
Qlli Iii 11
to fllui
-
_
Ii Fet bull ea mTI 10 yen ii m1
1 11 lit lie m p
1-1 T
59-
-- Example 17
--
14 Venite populi
fUT rwei gemucbtt ChOff Ordu$ttf Ilna Oritl
KV 160 (HII)
Allegro -- T~~~~~~~~lt lll~~~~~~middot~~~sect~~~~~I_~g~~middot-1middotmiddotmiddotmiddot~~~
TTObo~ huJfu --r
bull rmiddot
-bull
--cr -
V mt pOJX~i vc-ni-h
-- - -shy-bull
-
POP-lie_ n -
bull
-
60--
i
- conscious of the growing intensity of the text itself in which the figure of Christ
now emerges as the King of Kings as is expressed by the verse qui sedes ad- dexteram patris (thou who sitteth at the right hand of the Father) This sense of majesty stands in stark contrast to sudden reductions of the
- orchestral and choral texture a single soprano line accompanied by strings alone
on the text miserere (have mercy) is accentuated by a subito piano (see Ex 18) Its descending chromatic melody is reminiscent of the chaconne bass line and it
is rendered even more expressive through a syncopated rhythm and poignant
- appoglaturas It Is reiterated as the word susclpe (receive [our prayers)
resumes the focal point of the text
Finally the emphasis returns to miserere With the motif now reduced to a
melodic line formed by a single rising half-tone step (see Ex 19) the syncopated
rhythm and appogiaturas of the choral sopranos are supported again by the full
sound of the antiphonal choirs leading the movement to a cl imact ic end whose
turn to GMajor dies away in a last statement of miserere nobis
61
-
-- -
- - -- --
- Example 18
--
---- _- _ shyIII ~ ~VlIl- shyA -vln- orI ~ ~~ ~
d I
Via -~ ---- - ~ ~
S
_A
0
- ~
0 T u
B
middotit TJP IPl
di mi snro oro mi -ro- ro-
A P
I di mi - He-roro
A p
t ti mi - _~_re
p
(i I1li _1 re-N
Joi --A 0
bull ~ 0 u T
B
Org Ylc
e Cb ~
A JJp P_
Ashy
dit JIIi - 8e shy re bull N mi shy
P
14gt
it
di
ml-p
mi-
P
iii
-mi _
-
--
62
-
---
-
- Example 19
II 11 D - s
dos ad tris so 1-0middot ~i shy
OJ Uos ud dox tWam
ad dox-~ Po - middot
OJ
flo-~wl dox-~ A I KG - cbt ad
dox _ to-rom Pa middot middot
middot -
triM
~ du ~= iii middot A
trhlt mi - 0 ro-It D 0 t 0
tl trigtl mi - RG ro
]I -
- S
B IiO bull deewl doxmiddot ienm Pa - trill mi 88 - reomiddot
trilltime - tGnJU~d88 ad Pa middot
p
middot A
C trillPa middot shyIt
0t - t)
B ~ lie - dee ad dex tampram Pa - tria
-middot
A L - tJ ro ml bull 8810-10 no-blH
A nubiM ret mi bull 8O-ro-rodega T
() mi MCt-IOIO- nabizlbull o
B re mi bull -re_ro fob
- p
s ro W bull _I8rern n - MOshy
=A W bull _rororemi foIIII remiddot deg a II --shy degT () m ___refo I tJ
~l middot MO ro re
B mi middot - ro - IIIi _-IOro
63
-
- Quon1am
The GMajor close of the Qui tollis is followed by the EMinor opening of-the Quonfam which forms the last solo number of the Gloria section Whereas- the earl ier two solo movements suggested the form and style of the operat ic aria
the design is here much more complex It might be understood as a vocal concerto-shy-but only partly in the sense of the early ensemble piece for voices it also shares-
- characteristics with the instrumental concerto approaching the classical form
The movement Is scored for a vocal trio in which the two sopranos are now joined by a tenor (The quartet scoring of soloists is saved for the 8enedictus)
The orchestral setting returns to the scoring of the early classical symphony as - in the Laudamus aria--strings and oboes and horns (the horns lending merely a
harmonic support)--but the woodwind section is now widened through the additon of two bassoons
The form of the Quoniam is a mixture of fugue with stretti the
instrumental concerto with rltornel1o and the classical sonata form The latter
is announced immediately through the dualism created by two contrasting motHs which are merged in the course of the work (see Ex 20) Whereas the first motif dominates the vocal fugue throughout the second is reinterpreted in the middle
section (G Major) as what might be considered a true second theme Its
- 64
----- -------- -
Example 20
Allegro
20bol II
amp a
12-
870
2 Fagotti
V1011no I
ViOUDO n
Viola
Sopra~ I Solo
WshySopran~II So 10
1fshyTenore Solo
amp
OlglllloV191oncello
e ContrabaS8o
Vl I
Vl It
Vlbullbull
Org VI c
It Cb
J
A II
01
A II
tj
J
J
~--
P shy
~ - ]I
~
~
p ~I A
I All
AM
AnegT~ bull 1- bull s i
I
~ ~ - - -
---shy h- -
-fit - + -~ r-middot J - -
Tano Bolo
~ p
-
_fit
~
65
-development ingeniously leads back to the opening motif In fact the two opening
motifs in their original sequence conclude the piece in stretto passages-Because of the nature of fugal writing the trio continuously grows in-
texture The polyphonic writing reaches great complexity as each voice alternates - thematic ideas with secondary material and melodically sustained passages are
set against coloratura passages Each section of the movement moves from such-- dense polyphonic flow to a homophonic statement of the text
The movement comes to a close as the voices join in homophonic- reiterations of the short text lines tu solus Dominus tu solus Altissimus
(Thou only are Lord Thou only are most high) with a Quasl- choral ending on the -- word altissimus Reflecting the manner of the operatic ensemble rests are
inserted between the syllables of the word altissimus for a final assertive - effect (see Ex 21 )
-- Jesu Christe--Cum Sane to
- The text portion Jesu Christe more commonly used to conclude the
Quoniam becomes the basis for a short prelude to the Cum Sancto fugue
Prelude and fugue form the f1nal movement of the Gloria with a return to CMajor -In the Cum Sancto fugue Mozart maintains the church tradition of placing a fugue-
-66-
-
-- Example 21
----- -
580 _ shy525 -shyA I -Ob I 82_~ - ~IL k i ~ i
-
-Fg A I
-J
Vlt j- shy -- 1f~ Vln li-shy
V1a f shy SopeI
Solo Ue _ iii mull AI _ muR raquo 1JIIl8 AI - - tu bull gtIt bull
Sopln Solo I mus AI _ iia ld bull 1I1US AI bull titl bull fa musbull raquo
Tenbull Solo
OJ 1IIU8 AI
bull bull till
bull iii
-bull bull IDWI AI - tis
5
_ tli
bull _ DlU8 bull
5 II C
5 ltgttv VIc bull bull
-eCb
67
VLI
Sop I Solo
Soplln Solo
Ten SOlo
m1-nus
Do bull mt mIS
11_ _ I- shy
tu
tu BO bull Ius Al tigtl
Ius A1 bull tis IJ M II
~ 5bull gtIimiddot
-- at the end of the Gloria In Imperial Austria it was also a court tradition Not only
was the Catholic Church given to conservative musical expression the Emperor-himself was quite fond of fugues-
Whereas Mozart had used fugal procedures here and there in earlier sections
- of the CMinor Mass in the Cum Sancto he wrote a full-fledged double fugue a
veritable tour de force Even though the choir is reduced to four parts the Cum-- Sancto does not represent a weakening in texture Polyphony becomes the means
for a climax of the musical intensity- The Cum Sancto is one of Mozarts greatest fugues I t is a supreme study
1n stretto and inversion (the latter suggested 1mmed1ately after the In1tial-- exposition) Yet its most striking aspect is in the themes themselves The
opening seven-measure subject consists of a chant-like melody in whole notes - This is contrasted against an elaborate countertheme which produces the rhythmic
drive of the movement (see Ex 22) Mozart had earlier introduced this -juxtaposition of elements from the Renaissance and Baroque in the String Quartet-K 387 and it found its greatest expression in the final movement of the Jupiter
Symphony
Once each voice has Introduced the theme and countertheme a contrapuntal -- development often approaching the motivic design of the classical symphony
-68-
-
-- Example 22
------- --- -- -
Fg
VIa
T
B
OrgVic o Cb
middotOb
Fg
VI II
Via
S
A
T
B
OrgVIc
e Cb
Cum Sancto Spiritu Lllu b-eve]
550 ~2shy -bull
II
I Cum San ----shy
iuCum San eto Spi- rl _ ill glo [AlIa hreve] [Violoncollo 1m] --
[Vuu~ 2J~ ( B]
S ~
SOigt 2 -- J n J i rrn -
I
1
I eto
- shy
t p bull
-
-shyCum Jl
Spt - ~tu in g10 - t--
-ri a Dc i Pa-tria a men
- t rl shy-
69
-- begins Just as in Qui toll is Mozart sets off the larger sections by subito piano
transitions where the orchestra begins to relinquish its colla Darte function and-which provide a sense of release to prepare the increase in polyphonic tension to- come (see Ex 23)
- The first subject is used in stretto almost immediately Stretto
entrances vary harmonically and move closer together as the fugue develops The-- high point of the movement is reached as the tenor announces the principal
subject now inverted beginning on a high G and the other voices follow in
bull stretto The movement draws to a close as the subject is reintroduced in its
original form now in closest stretto (with entrances a single note apart see Ex -- 24) and then in unison or octaves of all voices for the grand conclusion of the
Cum Sancto and the entire Gloria section---bull
bull
--- 70
-
- -
-- Example 23
--
595 II - Ob I I r shy 11-
Qoo u bJ Fg -11
II
OJ)(e -
1 bull Vll 11 bull VI It - shy Ifmiddot ~11 bull -
- Vla p
-
bull
p-shyS -IDDn a r middotmiddotmiddot middot middot middotbull
_TrombII ~ A - I
middot - T
Spi
--- B middot
- -Org
IImiddot Iif shya~middot - menmiddot
-middotmiddot middotmiddot
P _aTramb-r~ nBglo bull rt bull tu In -middot middot
P 1I TIOIIIb
Ttoalb men a bullbullmiddot middot - middot middot middot
9_ 6t~- 6 __ Tasto 11010$_- _U bull
VIc eCh p
--- 71
-
-- Example 24
--
Ob-- Fg
-Cor c)
Tr (c)
Timp-- VU[
VlIl
-yenla -
S
bull A
T-- B
OrgVlc ~ Cb -
----
7U5 710 0 -~~ J I I ~ ~ J p - j-rJ
II~~ I J I 1 1 I P
r I I I r r A
I I
I r I r It A I 1
rA bullbull li-1l1l-J I r r
[j]
A t J _~_~ ~ tt Iut ~
~
11 A 111 -
OJ 1- mlshy ~
11 Xl
men L men
shy SenJ~1a-xnetl a shy men Ct1m eta -A~ ~Tromb
~v v U - U
a = amen a _ men Ct1m San - -It Jl-b _Tromb
~ men ~ Sana men a - -
lNlInh bull _a1iOmb- a - moo n - mCJl Cum -San
~- Ta~to Solo _ ~ 3 ~
p
72
The CMinor Mass Part II
CREDO
When we speak of the CMinor Mass as a torso we refer to the fact that Mozart did not compose music for some of the major sections in the Credo
(Crucifixus Et Resurrexlt Et in Spiritum Sanctum Confiteor) as well as to-the total omission of the Agnus Dei The Kyrie and Gloria sections however are complete--in a most elaborate way--and the same may be said of the Sanctus Alois Schmitts edition earlier in this centruy made an attempt at completing
the work by taking sections from earlier masses by Mozart and fitting them into -the fragmentary Credo Schmitt even went as far as to compose some parts for -the Credo for which he used the opening music of the extant portion of the Credo in unum Deum as thematic material For the Agnus Dei he returned to the music
of the Kyrie and altered the rhythm to suit the text This version was first
performed as we have mentioned in 1901 and it is still available in a published
edition by Breitkopf despite extensive criticism by modern scholars The following Is a listing of movements that Schmitt selected -
-- 73
)Crucifixus Fragment of a Requiem ClacrimosaU K 21 93c 22
Et resurrex1t
Et in Splrltum
Credo
-Et vitam
Parts of the Mass in Cminor K 139 114a and Kyrie in C K 323 (1788 37 measures)
Mass In C K 262246a
Parts of the original Credo transposed to Eb of the Kyrie in Eb K 322296a ( 1788 34 measures) and of the Mlssa solemnis in C K 337
Mass In C K 262246a
-Schmitt went to great length to patch up the noble work but Interestingly
enough chose to cut fourteen measures of the Laudamus (rnm 105-112 and rnm
177-184) and fifteen measures of the Et incarnatus (mm 149-155 and mm 186shy 193) in his edition--a strange notion considering his goal On the other hand it was Schmitt who reconstructed the missing string
parts of the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus and also the missing choral
parts of the Sanctus which have provided a guide for modern editors Whi Ie Schmltts work in this respect was quite Ingenious (especially in the Sanctus) he introduced awkward detalls in his part-writ lng which H C Robbins Landon revised
22 This fragment preserved in Mozarts hand was written by Ernst Eberlin as was later discovered by Karl Pfannhauser see Karl Geiringer The Church Music in The Mozart Companion ed H C Robbins Landon (New York W W Norton amp Co 1969) p 371
74
-- and simplified in his own reconstruction Landon aCknowledges that)
notwithstanding Schmitts shortcomings) he is the one responsible for the-inclusion of the CMinor Mass in the standard repertory- Having completed the Kyrie and Gloria sections l1ozart must have felt
pressed for time Under the constraints of the circumstances he decided to single - out from the remaining sections of the Mass text movements that had a specific
meaning for an overall design he had in mind--these being the Credo in unum- Deum Et incarnatus and the Sanctus section The choral forces reach a climax
in the Sanctus which is once again scored for double chorus The HOsanna portion
- of the Sanctus 1s a double fugue the closing portion of which 1s resumed at the
end of the Benedictus The solo movements also reach a culmination in this part
- of the work as will be discussed below Mozart now no longer pursued the
exploration of the Baroque style but freely turned to that of the operatiC and
-
symphonic genres of his day to bring the work to a close thoLlgh he retained the
traditional gesture of the conc luding fugue
The Credo in unum Deum has a fest1ve quality which 1s announced with a fanfare-11ke opening in the strings (see Ex 25) Instead of trumpets and t1mpani
to take up the idiomatic motif Mozart chose horns reserving trumpets and
-75-
-
-- Example 25
--- [~ ]
~fWodo in U~C1Llm Dr - uru~
Credo - Allegro maestoso lolJJ === a
rF- 1--r2Jrll -
[fJ CloiJ IP A
bullbull
2 Oco - 2 Fagotu
2 Corni In C - [baSRO] IIiIoJ
[fJ
A
Viollno I -Viollno n- Viola
Soprano I
W -Soprano II
bull IF Alto
-~
Tenore ~
Basso [Tutu ~oo 0)Organo
Violoncello
1R~ __ W
Imiddot
[I]
[Ser Trombone Alto]11
[ JSonJa Trmnb01le T~no ]
[~D Tngtbone 80]
AllegTo maestO$O
- e ContrabaMO [I]
--bull
76
-- timpani for the last movement in a conscious expression of balance with the
- beginning of the work In his reconstruction of this movement Schmitt added two
flutes and two clarinets to the orchestra which he also added to the Gloria and-Cum Sancto (neither instrument having been included in the original manuscript
- up to now) thus veritably destroying Mozarts orchestral texture (In a recent
recording of the work Neville Marinerr also changed the instrumentation by-- replacing the horns with two trumpets Richard Maunder in turn added trumpets
as well as trombones and drums in his edition He argues not very convincingly- It is Inconceivable that Mozart intended to omit trombones trumpets and drums
from a movement of such splendour and which is so closely related to the Gloria -- I have therefore included parts for those 1nstruments as well in the new
version 23)- A required reconstruction of the second violin and viola parts was not of
great difficulty for Schmiit As a general rule the second violin part was made to -double the first violin whenever possible (at the unison or octave) the same-applying to the violas with respect to the cello and bass parts Occasionally- Schm1tt overindulging added rather superfluous counterpo1nt He also - occasionally doubled the voice parts 1n the polyphon1c sections (see Ex 26)
- 23 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8 -
77--
- - - - - -
-Example 26
----- -
I T
-(bull 10 ~ + L
c - -IJIt - shylllfU1- - - -thI I
r~middot~ - - - - - - - - - bullbull ~I b L
- II~- tz - a amp- ftlaquo- - tI - - - shyf- f~- -~- - ~ P- - 10
o shy
- rr-
J ~---- r- -- I r--r-
I =
~ - - jff~ l t ~ ~ft i-Ef I t ~-1[-4 J 11J- - j-
ror
~t -- lIt b I L ~
++ ++ Cgtii IoJ IolOC= J -bull - --
++ -++ ~ - IN
6 - - ampm ftA t(~ fWt--f~-- -- - - - - shy_ L Lt
bull pound~ -1 - f~ (1 - shyL ~-
b - - ~
tz - - shyt - - - shy
-~ L PI 1 L b
- ~ ~ LJ
+--[+
- - 78
bull
- Landon on the other hand adhered more closely to the extant parts His additions
are carefully marked in the score (see Ex 27)
The Credo in unum Deum is scored for five-part chorus--none of the choral
parts being doubled by the orchestra--and the choral writing alternates between homophonic and polyphonic sections The polyphonic sections are dominated by a
- short motif (triadic in keeping with the character of the movement) which is
developed in imitation The rounded binary structure turns to A minor for a brief
- development section Here Mozart makes use of the five-part texture for touches
of antiphonal writing accompanied by descending scales in the strings (see Ex 28)
- The movement returns to CMajor and a short reprise of the opening choral section
for a conclusion
- Et i ncarnatus When Mozart vowed on August 4 1782 that he would write a large-scale
setting of the Mass his purpose as we have mentioned was two-fold to offer a
vow of gratitude for his union 1n marriage with Constanze and to compose for
Constanze a solo part specially deSigned for her v01ce in hopes that his famllys respect for Constanze would be enhanced by hearing her perform
- 79
Example 27
I
(I frl
shy -J
pol quo
-shy
1-0
- r-- -
--shy- qu
L
por quom 0
bull I gt I ~_io_bull bull _ ~IN- bull
-
ft ~ amp amp I-
yy y bull ~ amp amp
tl 11 t t
I -- Ii a_ Fa
COIl - middot IIIampD al_
oon b middot ortan ti _ a lem
ftan tj bullbullbull IEgt p 0 tri _ -
- VI1 -VI
VLU VLIl
VIbullbull
SlSl -
~ll SlI
I Fa tri per qu- o
A
A v
0 quem () tri Pshy-TT
8 B
bull - Fa middot tri
1 shyI _s J
VIc 011middot
~e Cb ~ VIe oCtgt
- 80
----
-- Example 28
ftmiddot do Doltgt ft
um vc rum d Jgteo om vs nzmdo amp0 vn
T
Iu_ urn JUttl do tMo
--- -shy-Vll
vlnt
- Via
-OrgVic
e Cb fpJ [1]
v
1
I shy
-
I
1 shyinolt
~-J
~l
-I
-J fp] -I
ViolonceUo Tut(l80to
I
_0_ -
Iio-J _shy ~-
-= hbull
60 - V1I
l~~ -1 41 bullbull
~ Vlll
Vl VI - [Il
Sol
bull sn
A
-IV I
bullbull De um 0 Ia n
De
~I De um do De lu IIIOCl
v m
Do urn d Do 0 DIeD dlID-
Bd00 ~- lu shy )g mino De 11m ()aI
bull T
OrgVIc
B bull Cb
DG lUll do ne G lu men d TdIo kilo ~011
Vic oGb (f]
-bull
--
81
bull
bull In the First Part of the Mass Constanze had presumably been featured as a
soloist only in the Christ~ But in the Et incarnatus Mozart created an
imposing deeply moving concert aria for soprano--the longest and most beautiful
of all the solo numbers--which forms the lyrical cl imax of the whole work This gift however is a movement also left in some respect incomplete Mozart wrote
only the vocal solo part the three solo wind parts (flute oboe and bassoon) and
the bass In the string parts merely the opening and closing ritornelli were written out It has been suggested that Mozart improvised an accompaniment to the four solo parts on the organ at the first performance If so such an
accompan1ment would obv10usly have taken the place of string scoring which the - composer had no time to complete but which is clearly implied by the completed
ritornel1L- It was Schmitt who provided the first reconstruction of a string score--a
simple chordal accompaniment though executed with some rhythmic interest -Landon also supplied string parts which when compared with Schmitts are less obtrus1ve and more homogenous w1th the extant parts The controversy surrounding this movement arises from the autograph Mozart when he drafted the
aria used only ten of the twelve staves on his manuscript paper although he went-- 82
-- to the trouble of fllling in the barlines for two of the blank staves Some scholars
suggest that the two empty staves were for an organ obbligato In the Foreword of
his edition Landon said After having done a performance in which an organ took
- the place of the supposed string accompaniment I am inclined to doubt this
Supposition His edition includes an organ part but only as continuo He also
provides a figured bass in the score
Richard Maunder and the editors of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe have inc luded
horns In their reconstruction of the Et incarnatus because in the autograph the
staff originally labelled fagotto solo showed a treble clef and Mozart added the bass clef over it with the correct key-signature of one flat Maunder states
Now Mozarts customary layout of a full score has the horns (usually on one staff) above the bassoons not below all the woodwinds as is customary
- today This strongly suggests that Mozarts treble clef (without a keyshysignature it should be noted) was a mistake made simply out of force of habit at first he intended that staff for horn(s) but afterward decided to alter his normal layout to keep the three woodwind soloists together Moreover the two blank staves Instead of the usual one suggest that Mozart
- intended to give a few so10 passages to at least one of the horns-though probably not very often since they are not included in the full written-out cadenza 24 Maunder tries to support his decision by stating that the Et
bull incarnatus is very reminiscent of the aria Se il padre perdei in Idomeneo with
- 24 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427Upbeat 3 (September 1988) pp7-8
bull
83
- obbligato parts for flute oboe horn and bassoon Because this was written only
two years before the CMInor Mass and Constanze later said that Mozart was very-fond of hearing her sing it Maunder feels justified in providing the additional horn- solo This conjecture remains open to serious doubt
What Maunders argument does not take into account is that the scoring of -this movement stands apart from that of any other movement in the work as doesbull the emotional quality of its solo writing As jf in a final touch of orchestral- differentiation flute oboe and bassoon are singled out in obbligato parts that
rival the vocal solo part Their primary role is clearly contrasted in the opening
bull and closing sections (which Mozart finished In detail) against that of a string
ensemble as orchestral accompaniment There is no room for the support of horns
in this fine balance of concerti no and tutti groups nor could the horn enter the delicate obbligato writing in this movement Nowhere else in the work are voice
bull and instrument so much on a par and it has been variously suggested that the
concept of incarnation itself mystically guided Mozart in giving soul to
instrumental sound
bull The result Is a piece of sublime beauty The quartet of three woodwind Instruments and solo soprano gains in gently contrapuntal fabric throughout the bishy
partite structure of the aria until their four-part sound finally stands by itself-bull
bull 84
bull
-- and the orchestral bass is silent The long written-out cadenza that follows is
bare of any virtuosity in the usual sense It is rather marked by the virtuosity of -intricately blended polyphonic sound It is not an improvisational cadenza but a- cadenza composed with utmost mastery of part writing--a type that appeared
first in Mozarts writing in the Sinfonia Concertante K 364 the work that Alfred
Einstein cal1ed the crowning achievement of l1ozarts string concertos 25
But applied to the woodwind ensemble as it is here it seems to antiCipate
the Cadenza in tempo of the Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments K 452 written a year after the CMinor Mass and referred to by Mozart himself (in a
letter to his father) dated Aprll 10J 1784) as the best of all I have written so far -in my life
- Sanctu5 The CMinor Mass reaches its conclusion with the Sanctus section Sanctus
- and Osanna once again form a Prelude and Fugue the Osanna being a double
fugue for double chorus The text of the Sanctus has Inspired many composers in their depiction of the Lord surrounded by the Heavenly Host Here we have a
bull grandiose yet quite traditional representation The eight-part chorus Is used
- 25 Alfred Einstein Mozart His Character His Work (New York Oxford University Press 1945) p 277
85--
-- antiphonally as well as in massive opening chord blocks and it is accompanied by
the full orchestra for a most vivid description of the Heavenly legions Mozart
- follows a tradition (well known to us by the brief double chorus 11ft Up Your
Heads from Messiah or the six-part chorus of the Sanctus from Bachs BMinor
~ followed by an eight-part chorus for the Osanna)--in this case not a - pronounced stylistic gesture so much as a matter of observing a typical remnant
of Baroque chora I art
As has been mentioned Mozarts unfinished autograph score has not survived - in all its details What has remained of the Sanctus and Osanna is a separate
DartlcelJa contlnlng the woodwind brass and drum parts the Benedlctus is - missing altogether For these movements the only remaining source aside from
the organ part is the manuscript score made by Pater Matthus Fischer which was
bull probably scored from a set of parts and at first intended merely for study Fischer
compressed the double-chorus scoring of Qui to11is and Osanna onto four staves
in order to adjust the full score to the size of his manuscript paper In-a few measures he carefully distinguished two parts on each staff by stem direction but he soon gave up the attempt often omitting a part in the antiphonal
texture or wherever poss1ble placing antiphonal parts succeSsively as If they
_ were a single continuous line
86-
-In the Gesamtausgabe the opening Sanctus appears in five-part scoring but
til the Osanna as in the incomplete source is reduced to four parts (see Ex 29 a b
c d) It was Alois Schmitt who subsequently showed that the Osanna--like the Sanctus--must have been intended for double chorus Fortunately the missing vocal parts of the fugue are suggested by the orchestral texture most of the time
Fischers unsystematic working procedure had given rise to doubt that the four
parts in his copy actually represent the same four parts throughout Maunder states Freed from any such restrictive assumption it is possible to reconstruct- the fugue in a way that takes full account of Mozarts division of his eight voices
Into two separate four-part chOirs so that for example the sUbject and - countersubject always appear together in the same choir 26
Landon on the other hand alternates the placing of subject and
bull countersubject between the two choirs and occasionally doubles the principal
bull subject in corresponding parts of both choirs In the flnal analysis the issue
remains irrelevant unless the placement of two separate choirs is observed on the-stage (a difficult task for purely practical reasons) and even then the result for
the llstener would not be different for 1t has proved impossible to reconstruct a truly antiphonal score for the Osanna
26 Maunder Mozart CMinor Mass K 427UDbeat 3 (September 1988)
pp7-8
87
-
-- Example 29 a
-
Sanctus bull La_
Oi
bull
--- -bull
- Alto
Mfia _ ~ f1
---
88-
-- Example 29 b
-
j dl fl -shyL I- It tI 0 -1shy 11shy _Ii I
--t ~ ~
-1
_ - Ir - I
~- I I i
~
II -shy ~- I - - -r - ~
-r- ~
- - -1shy - shy -shy -- tu ~~ IF ~ -shy I
I 1-shy Ii 1 I- - shy I -L - -ishy
r - - -~
- - --shybull Iff ii
c tn - IS r-shymg
lau~ r -~ [~ LHttriabull ~ -- 11 ~ ~ ~~==m~D~== -
T~ I ~JI(~f _ n rttit bullbull _ d~_1 J~g~u - shy - _-shyI - shy0 I eL(U _ lL- ~ 1 - middot~ I
_ Ia_ ~el u-_ middot~p~rmiddotc~jRr d+~~
) Jo --cc -t~_ __ ~ ~ --
89--
--
- ------filii
bull
- ----
Example 29 c
Sanctus
20boi
2 Fagotti VJ 11
A ga -
I LJJ t Ie e
Jmiddot2 Coml in C
[basso]
2 Trombe in C I I
Trombone alto ~
LtJ ~ ~trombone tenore l middot -e VJ
Jioombone basso tj
Timpan11n CoG
LJJaa t ~~ ~~ VioliDo I j
I ~ -~ I Vlolloo II
~ IfJ ~
~ VJ
IJJ
Viola
- r--
j
a Ia~ ~~
IT
~ Ar LJJ-
Soprano yen
Alto 0 ~ It Tenore0 ~ tl
Balo
Soprano- =tI1 - Alto 0 EEIt TenOle0 ~ tl
1111110
Orp 0
VloHmcello e Contrabasso
r San bull ctUB
I ~ ~San - ctUs
I San bull ctwor
j clUR
lttWl
~8U middot _s
rbullbull8 middot ltIUS
r San __bull argo
J DI-
LtJ~
~an middot CUIIJ I
lSan middot ctus
San middot lttUB
San - lttUB
~- - lttUB
ian middot
3an middot - San - -(1~ J
90
---
-- -
-
-- Example 29 d
--
-Osanna - Allegro Iomlt)d0
~ ~--~ - shy- shy shy -
ba~~ - - F
-~--
~
liT A
0
Anegro eomodo [rut lIolo )
in_ 8lI
I
I
20 - JIL - - - - - ~ - ==-~Io
tw ~ Jt t_~-- -
-- bull VI r -
lIt - - -- y
~ - --liT - - -- m_ ax bull ijJ - Hill in ox - col ais () -- ~
- Da in-= ox 001 ~ Iris O-llan DA
0 lIIII1 IIgt u ffgt1 ~ m~ 0 - - ft m DIl
11gt __bull _
- [11mC~]n n ~-- r
s
~T
-B
r==-~ -gt
O Ban-na in ozmiddotcel8iR () an A
[otT
A
-
lIaD __ in n-~l 0 san
- - --
--- iiii=4~
[Violoncello 2ltgt e BBgtlIHO1
--- 91
-
- The first exposition of the double-fugue includes four statements of the
subject and countersubject at times evidently involving both choirs After a -- small episode the thematic material is resumed and portions of the principal
- subject can be found in sequential entrances with the countersubject inverted to
provide additional counterpoint in the densely scored texture Landon has doubled
the subject in both choirs in intricate sections for the sake of clarity At the- close of the fugue the countersubject and subject are both heard In stretto
leading to final statements of Osanna In excelsis
BenecUctus -- The Benedictus assumes somewhat the function of a middle section within
the entire Sanctus as is borne out by the reprise of the final fHteen measures of- the Osanna at the end Thus Sanctus Osanna and Benedictus are directly -
connected A similar situation exists in the Coronation Mass K 317 but it is a
matter of general tradit ion that the Osanna forms a da capo structure with the
Benedlctus
The Benedlctus Is scored for a quartet of volces--two sopranos tenor and bass--and thus provides a cllmax in the Increase of means Mozart created in the
solo movements It Is written In the nature of a concluding operatiC ensemble--- 92
-- similar in character to the Quoniam though not as contrapuntal and the
- instrumentation returns to that of the Quoniam with oboes bassons horns and
- strings
- The movement is based on two themes the first of them appearing
immediately in the introduction repeated in the opening vocal statement of
- Soprano I and resumed a fifth lower by Soprano II The second theme is built on an
- ascending and descending triad and is taken up by all voices What is of special
- interest is that the development of both themes is placed within the framework of
an orchestral rltornello (reminiscent of the ritornello in the Quoniam) that links
- the Benedictus to the countertheme of the Osanna and thus rounds out the
- entire form of the Sanctus section (see Ex 30 ab)
- bull
-- Surveying the entire work in the form Mozart has left 11 we real fze again
that what we call the CMinor Mass contaIns actually only one movement in CMinor
- --the first Yet the designation seems justlf1ed It 1s in the opening Kyrle that
- Mozart announces an entirely new style in his writing in fact in the history of the
-- 93
bull
-- Example 30a
--- Osanna
Allegro 10m000 ~
- FI1
- fib
- Via
S
A - 0
IX 0 T 0
B
-A
o = S
a o T - o
B
Org
-VIc cCb -
- -
b bull~
A
~fIl fIl m-shyshy -
- -~--
o senmiddotna tn ex- ce1BiIt 0 ftllll
I -In_ 81 ===~ -
--
--- ---
11
A
OJ
o - -Allegro eomodo tTuto80o )
-m ft 0
94
----- --- - - --
-- Example 30b
-- ------
--- -
Ob
~2A t
OJ f 32
I ~- - -FfImiddot
f I -Cor
[fJ - ------ --- -[jJ -
at I~
I(C) ~ I
-shy
f
--- shyVLI
l~Vlll ru
Vla -[fJ
A-_ bull shySI ILl mi-ne Do bull
~fm SD
- mi-ne Do - miLm A- -T
- mi-ne Do shy miini B
- lUine Do - mi ni
e C 5 qtI 61 _ a ~ bull Org -Vle bull bull Cb [fJ
95
I
-- Mass The heroic quality of the CMinor beginning is not an empty gesture
Mozarts decisive turn to the exploration of older styles and to a new commitment
- to po lyphony is deeply connected with his contribution to the rise of Viennese
Classicism as is the new expression we encounter in the beginning of this work with the composers choice of the somber key
- Mozarts planning of the total work is guided by this choice Turning to the
corresponding major for the Gloria and the subdominant for the Laudamus he
modulates in the subsequent two movements through related keys tightly
bull connected to the dominant of the original key GMinor to reach a stylistic high
- point in the first double chorus of the work We have spoken of the ingenious
modulation to E Minor that follows in the Quoniam and by third-relation leads
back to C Major for the conclusion of the Gloria section The cycle of keys thus
accomplished not only rounds out the Gloria section but the First Part of the Mass
as a whole The CMinor of the Kyrie is convincingly reinterpreted through the
complex sequence described in the CMajor of the Gloria
There is logic in the fact that C Major now forms the basis for the Second
Part and tts torso character is diminished by the continued strict harmonic - planning In the succession of movements in the keys C-F-C-A-C the choice of the
subdominant places the Et incarnatus in symmetry to the Laudamus and the key
-- 96
-- of the relative minor is saved for a last departure from the basic key which is
flnally resumed in the concludlng double fugue-- One might say that from an artistic point of view the work stands before
- us complete--somewhat in the manner of Bachs Art of Fugue or Schuberts
Unfinished Symphony--despite the omission of major port ions of the Mass test
- And it was despite the pressure of time that Mozart obtained a perfect musical
structure This idea grew to a gUiding conviction in the course of the preparations-for performing the work in connection with this project -
---bull
-
--
97--
- Techn1cal Cons1derat1ons
- Having studied the history of the Mass during Mozarts time the Mass
compositions of Mozart and analytical details of each movement of the CMinor
- Mass the conductor must deal with the elements of the score--tempo and Interval
- problems rhythm balance diction ornamentation dynamics and instrumentation-shy
- with a view of proper performance practice The final chapter will therefore be
- concerned with these topics on the basis of experience gathered in the course of
the preparation and performance of the work
- The Vocal Solos and Ensembles
The CMinor Mass calls for four soloists--two sopranos tenor and bass
- The original score does not deSignate which soprano is to sing the Christe
bull laudamus or uEt incarnatus As mentioned Constanze may be assumed to have
- sung the Soprano I part--which most like ly was assigned the Et incarnatus In
view of the Solfeggio dedicated to her she probably also sang the Christe This
leaves the Laudamus for Soprano I Obviously the aSSignments of these solo - numbers must be made very clear from the outset The conductor must be
- reminded however that both parts call for extremes of range and vocal
-- 98
-
-- competence The major differences are found in the tessitura The tessitura of
the Laudamus is centered in the middle range) while the lEt incarnatus calls for
- a much higher range The Laudamus also requires unrelenting vocal agilty while
the Et incarnatus calls for considerable sensitivity and vocal sustaining power The Domine duet requires both--thus elther soprano solOist must be extremely
- versatile
- Because of the sltutatlon at a music school with an abundance of excellent
singers) I chose six sopranos two tenors and a bass) assigning them to various
- solos and ensembles While this provided opportunities for a larger number of
singers it would not be feasmiddotible in a more formal situation The tenor solOist
sings only the trio and quartet neither of which is extremely high in fact both
call for substantial low tessitura The Quoniam includes several phrases with coloratura passages as does the Benedictus accordingly the tenor must have a
good deal of facility The Bass sings only in the Benedictus This movement
could be sung by a baritone) but occasionally the tessitura drops and the soloist
bull must have a good low F and Gas well as a clear high Dand E A thorough
- knowledge of vocal writing 1s essential for the conductor to make the r1ght
- choices
- 99
-
The question of ornamentation can on the whole be obviously disregarded in
- view of Mozarts wonderful elaboration of the solo parts It arises only In the
Christen section--as is suggested by its derivation from the Solfeggio Mozart
- allows for a small amount of embellishment in measures 49-50 and 54 by placing
fermatas in the score and I turned to the Solfeggio for guidance Here is a piece
- duplicated almost completely in the Christe with embell ishments added by
- Mozart himself The placement of the text had to be slightly altered to allow an
- additional breath for the soprano and provide better syllablic inflection (see Ex 31
a b)
- In the custom of the time Mozart Included appogiaturas (written in small
- notation) to alert the Singers that they were dealing with non-harmonic tones
When these appogiaturas are doubled in the instrumental parts 1 however1 they are
written out I n most cases the appogiaturas took on half the value of the note
they preceded unless they were clearly marked as grace notes (see Ex 32 a-f)
-- The Chora1 Port Ions
While preparing the Kyrie I discovered inconsistencies in the placement of the syllab les of the word e-Ie-j-son Mozart notated it as both a three- and fourshy
- syllable word The following list provides a description of the various ways the
- 100
-
-- Example 31a
-- ----
Example 31 b -
e - lal -ltl) Chrtste Chrt - ate f-middotf-gt gt- gt-
S8010- I amp-lei shy e - lei-lIOn e - lei- lIOn bull lei t(
01-
--- a) Kyrle
So rano So -Chri sto e shy-
--
l) - b) Laudamus
-----
c) Domine-bull n
(fEa D1i I f Id Jd r~ flJ IJ 151 - - ru ge bull m-te Je au Christe Do bull mi _ De -
-102-
-
-Example 32 d e f
d) Quoniam
-
o a
- - e) Et incarnatus
455
-- f) ( r -
jcytc--EIre rr I ---
f) Benedi ctus
-- --
I St
nom1 bull nit
103
-- word is set and suggested solutions for the execution of each
1 Normally the dipthong le-j should be sung by sustaining the first-sound (leU) for as long as possible and placing the second sound (i) on the last-sixteenth-note value before the final syllable son (see Ex 33 a b)
2 In the fugal theme the second sound of the dipthong can be placed on the --- last Quarter note before the final syllable--which is usually placed on a leading
tone This will help raise the pitch and generally improve the intonation (see Ex
34 a b)- 3 In certain instances the second sound of the dipthong can be anticipated
to punctuate new or repeated pitches (see Ex 35 a b) -3 When the dipthong is placed below two eighth notes each note receives a-
syllable--stressing the first (see Ex 36)- 4 When the dipthong is only given one eighth-note value then the sound
wi 11 be a combination of the two or a closed E sound (see Ex 37) --
The division of womens voices into three parts (51 511 A) can be- accomplished ln two ways Normally the soprano section is already divided-shy
especially in choirs that have an overabundance of them Depending on the volume -of the voices in each section the balance should be fairly even considering the-
-104-
-
-
1(middot I
-- Example 34a
It - bullI -
Ky - ri-I) I I)_lei -sone-loi-8Ol1e_
-
Example 34b- Ie ~
- - lOS
-
-- Example 35a
- I~
- SA
I bull oj f -
-Example 35b-
-1m son
1m lIOn e -Example 36-
---
Example 37-T -B- -gt
L=~ Fflei bull B_ e bull 1mBOIl a 1eiIIOD1 -
11
-- 106
-
-- fact that the alto part (originally sung by men) is quite low at times and will need
- more support than the other parts This was indeed the case in my experience
- The other option can be applied if the womens voices are divided into first
- and second soprano and alto A proper balance of parts can be achieved by the
following ratios Soprano I =All Sop I plus 13 Sop II
Soprano II = 23 Sop II plus 23 Alto I
Alto = 13 Alto I plus all Alto II
Each conductor will have to determine the proper balances according to the voices
of the choir - The division into two separate chOirs is a completely different matter In
the case of the Qui to11 is and the Sanctus the corresponding vocaI parts are
very similar in difficulty and tessitura thus to ask all the second sopranos - second altos etc to sing in ChOir II would produce an inconsistency in sound
- especially for the antiphonal writing Here the conductor must evenly divide each
- section in order to form two balanced choirs
- In my own experience there were three separate choirs to rehearse and
prepare for the performance and they were not combined untll the final two
rehearsals I therefore assigned the two smaller ensembles to ChOir II and the
- 107
-
c
larger ensemble to Choir I Thls method also saved rehearsal time considering
that only half of the pIece had to be covered A second pianist played the missing-choral parts so that the addition of the new choir would not be a shock in the final-rehearsa Is - Unless the CMinor Mass is being performed by avery large choir most
conductors will probably experience an imbalance of vocal parts especially in the-- eight-part choruses In order to solve this problem some singers were assigned
to act as doublers or plvotal voices For example if the alto part became too low- and needed to be reinforced to be heard a few tenors would double that part The
same was true for the tenor section Occasionally the tessitura would drop very
low and was accordingly doubled by some baritones-In the Oul toll is the problematiC sections included measures 323-325- 336-339 and 352-355 In every case Mozart called upon one volce part to predominate against and balance seven other parts The following examples show
the doubiings I had to use in order that the effect Mozart desired could be realized-(see Ex 38 a b)
Landons edition includes the Gregorian liturgical melody before the Gloria
and the Credo and suggests that they be sung respectively before these sections
108
--
-- Example 38a
------
o II o o T
B qui
so
qui
--
Example 38b-bull
-mUll
- 0 munII
0
di
ltii
mun ltii
mun bull di - --- toI _
to
101middot
tol
qui
lis
qui
qui
qui
gtqui
qui
lispoc-ca
lis poe
(
- S
A
0 quiII
0 T 0 - 0 poe ca bull ta qlliqui
B qui -- ta mlln ltii DOC
shy
tol bull lls tol
0 II 0
tol
0 ta mun
ea bull ta munmiddot_ ltii poe
tol -ua to1
qui tol
109--
-- begin This is in fact purely editorial to remind us of the liturgical aspects of
bull the piece Usually the intonation had to be included in the Masses of the time in
- order that the text be complete This is not the case with the CMinor Mass The
complete text of the Gloria in excelsis and Credo In Unum Deum is written into
bull the movement thereby eliminating the necessity for the intonation especially in
- the concert ha11
-Orchestral Considerations
bull I t was a matter of tradition in the Masses of Mozart especially during the
Salzburg period to include three trombones in the orchestra to double the alto
- tenor and bass choral parts The CMinor Mass is no exception In fact of the four
- original parts that still survive three are the trombone parts which included only
the completed movements already discussed (Mozart did not as has sometimes
bull been suggested substitute parts of earlier masses for the missing sections) 27
- Although Landon did not have access to these parts when he published his
- ed1tion he was correct in assuming the colla parte function of the trombones
- when they did not have a separate part in the score The Gesamtausgabe 1ncluded
staves for four trombone parts In the Kyrie--includlng soprano trombone The
27 Richard Maunder Mozart CMinor llass K 427 Upbeat 3 (September 1988) 7-8
bull
- 110
bull
-- score later calls for only three trombones in the movements for which Mozart
specifically wrote individual trombone parts-Landon includes indications of where the trombones should in fact double-
- choral parts and has even used the choral staves for inserting individual trombone
parts This however makes for an untidy appearance The more recent editions
_ have included separate lines for all the trombones in each movement
The problems I encountered with the trombone parts were the questions of-balance with the choir and technical facility Of course the main purpose of using - the trombones is to reinforce the three lower voices of the choir (a technique that
could still be used effectively in church choirs today) Occasionally the conductor -- may experience a balance problem and can rightfully ask the trombones to observe
a tacet when necessary They are to support and not overpower- The other problem is that the alto trombone part is quite high and especially
difficult to play on a modern tenor trombone The principal trombonist I used had -access to an alto trombone and this allowed him to play the harder passages with-ease Occasionally quick passages in movements such as the Gloria and Cum- Sancto can become quite difficult for the trombones to execute Here again the
trombones are added to enhance the texture and not to ruin the performance ---- 1 1 1
-
-- The number of string players in the orchestra is always a matter of concern
- for a conductor The orchestra needs to be balanced within ltself--strings with
winds and brass--as well as balanced with the soloists and the choir The
problem of course is having enough string sound in the tutti sections to support
- the choir and then also be able to accompany the soloists without covering them
One option is to have fewer strings play in the solo numbers This is especially
- necessary in modern concert halls
The nEt incarnatusn poses a special problem for the strings in that the sound - should be sotto voce throughout To achieve this the conductor may ask the musicians to play over the fingerboard or to use mutes Although Mozart does not
- specify either this would not be out of character For in the Coronation Mass
- Mozart does specify mutes when the nEt incarnatus section begins to add a
special effect to the mystical meaning of the text
-- Mozart calls for organ in the score of the Mass purely as the traditional
- continuo instrument because a separate part does not exist and the inclusion of
organ accompaniment is no longer needed in the symphonic orchestra Schmitt - added a separate organ part in his score Landon however includes a real izatlon
- only in a separate organ part and not in the score and as was mentioned before
-- 112
-
-- and suppIied the figures for the bass throughout the full score
-Oetal1s of Interpretat10n-
Tempo and dynamics are invariably of extreme importance The shaping and
- pacing of a work of such magnitude depends largely on these elements Table II
provides suggested tempo markings and in the following is given a short -- discussion of the inherent conducting problems for each of the individual
movements-Kyrie -
The Christe section can become very diificult for the soloist if the tempo- of the Kyrie has become too slow I found that in the two measures of transition
into Eb I could push ahead slightly and set a more comfortable tempo for the -- soloist (A suggested concluding ritardando naturally leads back into Tempo I)
The only conducting problems that could arise would be in the short recitativeshy like section from mm 49-57 As in any accompanied recitative the drama of the text and music should be of prfmary concern This includes taking the time for
dramatic pauses as indicated by the fermatas over the rests and providing the- 113-
-
bullbull
-
musical dramatic support through sudden dynamic changes and fluctuations of
tempo
bullbull
Gloria
The tempo of the Gloria must not be too fast in order that the mel ismas
may be executed cleanly It may be necessary to have the singers add a light d
consonant to articulate the mel ismas--keeping the appropriate vowel sound intact
Laudamus
-
The tempo must be exhuberant and exciting but also must be comfortable
for the soloist The mellsmas and wide intervallic leaps are very difficult to
execute
Grat las
-
The movement should start in eight (subdivided four) but once the tempo is
set the conductor should use a slow sustained four-pattern to help the choir
-- 114
-
bullbull
bullbull
-support the phrases I t may be necessary to return to eight (or a combination of
I the two patterns) in the sublto piano sect ion of measures 209-211 for clarity of
the double-dotting (see the discussion under Qui toll Is) and to achieve a small
ritardando at the end of the movement
bullbull Domine
-The tempo must be determined by the abi I lty of the sopranos to execute the
coloratura passages as well as to sing the four-measure phrases in one breath
In the more lyrical sections the conductor may give one beat to a bar -
Qui tollis-The question of double-dotting arises both in the Gratias and the - Qui tollis This was an instrumental technique of the Baroque and as Frederick
Neumann has discussed did not necessarily apply to the voices 28 It remains however a very dramatiC effect and aids better rhythmiC accuracy between voices and Instruments (see Ex 39 ab)
28 AmerIcan Choral Review Vol XXXVIII No4 October 1986
- 115
bull bull
bullbull nExample 39a III
gt tris
0 p Fa
cJbullbull 0
tris
at ex-to~am Pa trifl r
r 1
I
b~ Ai1
ltIDs
des
T
dos
B
des
- Ob
FgExample 39b
- Cor (G)
- no
bull
----
[fJ
f
lIa 31 J
re _ re
re _ re
19 - re
- re mi- 8e shy 19 - re mi-seshy
116
-- I found this movement one of the more difficult to conduct The strings may
need the subdivision of an eight-pattern (subdivided four) but the choir needs the
sustaining power of a slow four-pattern I decided to alternate between the two-just as in the Gratias which helped to keep the ensembles together I
established the tempo of the string motif by starting the piece in eight and then
as the choral parts entered switched to four This technique was very effective-unt i I the end of each sect ion (subi to piano) Because the choraI entrances were syncopated it was necessary briefly to return to eight to keep the ensemble
unified This alternation proved to be very helpful and effective for tempo
phrasing and ensemble
Quoniam
bull The tempo must be fast enough to give the singers the opportunity to
perform the melismas in one breath but not so fast as to destroy clarity
Jesu Chr1ste-Cum Sancto
The Jesu Christe should be conducted ln eight (subdivided four) throughout--- 117
-- There are too many important entrances and passages in inner voices that need the
- individual beats The Cum Sancto must take its tempo from the countertheme It
- is very easy to begin the whole-note openlng too quickly and then spend the
remainder of the movement trying to slow the tempo so that the mellsmas are - clear It will probably be necessary to have the voices use syllables on the
- mel1smas for clarity and sheer execution but this should not be made too obvious
- The fugue is quite lengthy and takes a great deal of energy from everyone
The conductor should renew this energy with every entrance of the theme so that
bull it can be heard through the dense contrapuntal texture of the movement Also
special care should be taken that the countertheme never overpowers the main
bull theme
Credo
- The Credo needs a tempo that resounds with a joyous and festive spirit
The homophonic sections should be full and declamatory The more polyphonic
sections should be lighter in fee Iing and a bit softer to contrast
bull
- - 118
-
--- - -- - -
---
Et Incarnatus
This is perhaps the most demanding movement to conduct The tempo
presents a difficult issue--it moves on the fine 1 ine between six or two beats to a
measure Obviously the piece would flow better in two however when the singer
has melismas the tempo cannot be so quick as to detract from the mood and spirit
of the music (Any fluctuation of tempo must be accomplished very discreetly)
decided to conduct the whole movement in six trying to minimize the beats as
much as possible but I realized that this resulted in a stiff and unsatisfying
performance when I heard the recording With more experience and another chance
to conduct this piece I would trend more to alternating between six and two
trying to keep the pace of soloists and instrumentalists parts comfortable in
achieving longer phrases
Sanctus
The Sanctus should be conducted in eight (subdivided four) because of the
thirty-second note scales In the violIn parts and in order to suggest the majesty
for which the music calls The Osanna begins after a dramatic pause at the end
119
-
of the Sanctus (the fermata is on the rest) the double fugue beginning with an
elght-note upbeat that must clearly introduce a beat of four
-Benedlctus
lit The tempo of the Benedictus should be very simi lar to that of the Osanna
in order that the sect ions may be performed with attaca connection The-difficulty is in finding a tempo which is not too fast for the quartet of singers If a slower tempo is chosen for the Benedictus the conductor has the option to
accelerate the tempo of the interlude wh1ch w1ll lead to the repr1se of the
Osanna to a grand conclusion of the entire work
120
-- K 33 - K 13947a
K 4947d-K 6561a K66- K 140
K 167 -- K 192186f
K 194186h- K 2201 196b
K 262246a -K 257-K 258
K 259
K27S272b -K 317-
--
-- TABLE I
Mozarts Masses
Kyrie F
Missa solemnis c
Missa brevis G
Missa brevis d
Missa C
Missa brevis G
Missa C
Missa brevis F
Missa brevis D
11 i ssa brevi s C
Missa longa C
Missa C
Missa brevis C
Ml ssa brevis C
M1ssa brevis Bb
Missa (Coronation Mass) C
121
12 June 1766
1768
Oct-Nov 1768
14 Jan 1769
October 1769
1773
June 1773
24June 1774
8 August 1774
1775-1776
1775
November 1776
December 1776
December 1776
Late 1777
23 March 1779
Paris
Vienna
Vienna
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
Salzburg
K 337
K 341 368a-K427417a
K626
---
-- -
Missa solemnis
Kyrie
Missa
Requiem
122
C March 1780 Salzburg
d 1788 Vlenna
c July 1782shy
May 1783 Vienna
d late 1791 Vienna
-- Table II
--
- --
-- --
Suggested Tempi
Kyrie ( ) =56-63 Christe _I =60-66)
G 1 ori a ( =1 04-1 16)
Laudamus ( - =1 08-112)
Grat ias ( 1 = 84-92)
Domine (ill =1 08-11 6)
Qui tol1is (I =80-88)
Quoniam ( ci I
=96-100)
Jesu Christe ( ) i =84-92) Cum Sancto ( (1
Credo ( - = 1 04- 1 08)
Et incarnatus ( )1 =88-100)
Sanctus ( J =76-84) Osanna ( ) =88-96)
Benedlctus ( I =92-96) Osanna ( ) =92-96)
123
=96-104)
Table III
Notat 1 onaI Correct 1ons
The following table includes a listing of mistakes found in the vocal and orchestral scores in the course of the project preparation
- Piano-Vocal Score
Gloria -Qui tollis
-Cum Sancto -
Credo
-- Full score
Kyrle Laudamus te Credo
Sanctus- -
Meas
m28
m323
m324
m337
m667
m38
m39
m52
Meas Part
m49 Bass
m 108 VcCB
m38 Tenor
m15 Oboe I
Part
Piano
Tenor-Ch 1
Tenor-Ch 1
Correct Note Beat
A 112
E 4
0 4
Bass-Ch 1 (text mistake) pec 4
Bass 0 2
Tenor B
Alto F 3
Bass A
Correction Beat
Half note 1-2
Move quarter rest to beat 1
B
G (tied) 3
124
-- BIbliography
-Biography-Abert Hermann W A Mozart Leipzig Breitkopf amp Harte 1 1955 - Anderson Emi ly editor and translator The Letters of Mozart and His
Family New York St Martins Press 1966-Blom Eric Mozart London J M Dent and Sons Ltd 1952 - Burk John N Mozart and His Music New York Random House 1959
Carr Francis Mozart and Constanze London John Murray Publishers Ltd - 1983 - Deutsch Otto Erich Mozart A Documentary Biography Translated by Eric Blom Peter Branscombe and Jeremy Noble London Adam amp Charles Black 1965-
Einstein Alfred Mozart His Character His Work Translated by Arthur- Mendel and Nathan Broder New York Oxford University Press 1945
Gheon Henr1 In Search of Mozart Translated by Alexander Dru New York Sheed amp Ward Inc 1934
Hildesheimer Wolfgang Mozart Translated by Marion Faber New York -Farrar Straus Giroux 1982 -
- Hutchings Arthur Mozart The Man The Musician London Thames and Hudson 1976
Hussey Dyneley Wolfgang Amade Mozart Freeport New York Books for Libraries Press 1969-
-125-
-
--
Jahn Otto Life of Mozart Translated by Paul ine D Townsend London Novello Ewer ampCo J 891-
Keys Ivor Mozart Hjs Musjc In His Life New York Holmes amp Meier Pub1 i shers Inc 1980 -
Landon H C Robbins The Mozart Companion New York W W Norton amp Co- 1969
Nissen Georg Nikolaus von Biographie W A Mozarts leipzig 1828 -facsimi le ed Hlldesheim Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung 1964 - Ottaway Hugh Mozart london Orbis Publishers 1979
Sadie Stanley The New Grove Mozart New York W W Norton amp Co 1982 -Wyzewa Theodore de and Salnt-Folx Georges de W A Mozart sa vie et son- oeuvre de Jenfance a la plelne maturtte PariS Desclee de Brouwer
et Cie 1912-1946-DOCUtlENTARY EDITIONS AND SPECIAL STUDIES -Bauer Wilhelm A Deutsch Otto Erich and Eibl Joseph eds Mozart Briefe - und Aufzeichnungen Kassel Barenreiter 1962-75
Crankshaw Geoffrey Mozarts Mass in C M1nor Musical OPloion -lXXVI1917 February 1954 275-277
-- Einstein Alfred ed Kochel ludwig Ritter von Chronologischshy
thematisches Verzeichnjs samtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade MQzarts Entry 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor commentary (Note
- Kochels original edition of 1862 is needed for comparison because at that t1me larger portion of the autograPh was extant than was ava1lable for Einsteins workgt leiPzig Breltkopf amp Hartel 1937
-- 126
-
-
- Hertzmann Erich Mozarts Creative Process The Creative World of
Mozart edited by Paul Henry Lang New York W W Norton amp Co 1963
Herz Gerhard Essays on JS Bach Ann Arbor Michigan UMI Research Press 1985-
Holl Monika ed Preface to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe sGimtljcher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe 4 Oratorien Geistliche Singspiele und Kantaten Band 3 Davidde Penitente Kassel BGirenreiter 1987
-Holl Mon1ka and Karl-Heinz Kohler editors Preface to the Neue Mozart
Ausgabe samt11cher Werke Serie I Werkgruppe I Messen und Requ1em Abtellung I Messen Band 5 Kassel Barenre1ter 1983
Landon H C Robbins Mozarts CMinor Mass in Letters to the Editor- Musical Opinjon LXXVII919 April 1954397 Landon H C Robbins ed Score Preface to K V 427 (417a) Mass in CMinor New York Eulenberg Inc 1956
Lang Paul Henry Music 1n Western Clv1Jlzatlon New York W W Norton amp Company Inc 1941
Lewicki E Ober Mozarts grosse c-Moll Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Erganzung Mozart-Jarbuch i 1923
Mann Alfred Theory and Practice New York W W Norton and Company 1987
Maunder Richard Mozart CMinor Mass K 427 Upbeat 3 September 1988 7-8
Mozarts CounterpoInt 1ts Growth and Significance Music and Letters 26 1945 12-20
- 127
--
Sabin Robert He Robbins Landon Edits Mozart Mass Musical America LXXVII 10 August 1956 22-
Sadie Stanley A Note On Davidde Penitentemiddot Musical Times December 1969 1235-1237 -
Schenbeck Lawrence Baroque Influences in Mozarts Masses Later Works--
American Choral Reyjew Vol XX4 October 1978
- ----- - 128
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