MASONIC FUNERAL MUSIC in C minor KV 477 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Salzburg, 1756 - Wien, 1791) Before submitting this score to Mutopia, I asked two fans of Mozart, Andrea Hubrich and Dennis Pajot, to provide some information about this piece. Dennis wrote a survey of the actual knowledge we have about KV 477, while Andrea provided a set of quotations taken from music textbooks which are somehow related to the Masonic Funeral Music. You will find the two texts below. I thank both Andrea and Dennis a lot! As Dennis explains thoroughly in his article, it is likely there existed three versions of this score, of which only the last survives. The first version ("A") was scored for two male choirs and orchestra, the second one ("B") for a single orchestra with two oboi, one clarinet, one basset horn, two horns and strings. The last version ("C") added two basset horns and one double bassoon to "B". This edition of the score is based on the score Dr. Cornelius C. Noack submitted to the Werner Icking Archive (http://icking-music-archive.org/), which is identical to version "C" except that the additional parts are removed (i.e. the two basset horns and the double bassoon). In this way this edition tries to mimic the score of version "B". The question whether this attempt does really produce a faithful version of score "B" or not must be carefully examined. We have no proof that Mozart turned score "B" into "C" by simply adding the three parts and leaving the rest unchanged. If we take other examples where Mozart re-scored his own composition for a larger orchestra, we can find cases where he simply added new parts and others where he changed the existing parts as well. Here are two notable examples: 1. To the first case belongs Piano Concert KV 459 (11th December, 1784), for whom Mozart added two trumpets and kettledrums "ad libitum" six years later. These additional parts are lost, but, for what I know, no changes seems to have been made on the other parts. 2. The famous Symphony KV 550 in G minor (25th July, 1788) was originally scored for 1 Flute, 2 Oboi, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns and strings. When Mozart re-scored it some time later adding 2 Clarinets, he changed the oboi parts as well. For instance, in the Menuetto he shifted the passage in bars 36-39 from the oboi to the clarinets. Maurizio Tomasi, November 2004. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Communication from Andrea Hubrich about KV 477: Greetings Maurizio. This is one of my favorite Masonic works by Mozart. Here is some info I have on this piece and I hope it'll help. From "Mozart and the Masons" by H.C. Robbins Landon: "Mozart's most important piece of Masonic music hitherto had originated in the deaths, within a day of each other in 1785, of two Brothers: Georg August, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 6 Nov.), and Franz, Count Esterhazy of Galantha (d. 7 Nov.). In the Vienna Lodge `Zur gekroenten Hoffnung' on 17 Nov. was held a Lodge of Sorrows. Wenzel Tobias Epstein delievered the Oration, while Mozart, with a collection of musicians, some of them Brethren, produced his Maurerische Trauermusik (K.477). This Masonic Funeral Music, with its heavy symbolism (concept of three), also in its overall form (in the middle B part there appears an old Gregorian chant, part of the music for Passion week), reveals Mozart's total involment with the theories and philosophies of death and their symbolic relationship to the First Degree of the Craft." From Dr. B. Paumgartner: "The Masonic Funeral Music holds a place all its own among Mozart's works, not only for its form and homogeneity, for the ingenious choice of the instruments and their exquisite technical treatment, but also through the unique grouping of a solemn march around the fundamental element of a gregorian chorale. Mozart very accurately penned the Cantus Firmus on a separate leaf in order to avoid errors in the elaboration. According to Heimsoeth the first five bars of this melody (bar 25-29) are identical with the first Psalm tone with the first Difference after the Cologne Antiphonary. What follows is a local compilation of several Psalm tones for the `Miserere mei Deus' -- a Penitential psalm such as is frequently used for funerals in several places." From "Mozart and Masonry" by Paul Nettl: "Masonic music can be devided into three classes. The first consists of various songs and instrumental pieces which were composed for use at lodge meetings, dinners and other occasions. The second category comprises music which was not originally intended for Masonic occasions, but whose contents made it appropriate for such use. The third and highest group includes compositions which are intended to express the Masonic creed but are not for use in ceremonies." Andrea Hubrich ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Communication from Dennis Pajot about KV 477: Here is a brief summary and explanation of the three (not only two) versions of the Masonic Funeral Music. Hope this helps some. Mozart entered the Masonic Funeral Music in his work catalogue "in the month of July [1785]" as "Masonic Funeral Music for the death of Brothers Meklenburg and Esterhazy". The problem here is that Georg August von Mecklenburg-Strelitz died on November 6, 1785, and Franz Esterhazy von Galatha on November 7, 1785. Both deaths were observed in ceremony at the Vienna Crowned Hope Lodge on November 17, 1785. The theory of Philippe Autexier from the Mozart Jahrbuch of 1984-85 goes like this. The Masonic Funeral Music is dated in the month of July and the next entry, the Piano Quartet in g-minor K478 is dated "ditto" to the Funeral music. This Quartet is dated October 16, 1785 on its autograph. The next entry in the work catalogue is the vocal quartet K479 entered November 5 -- still before the two Masonic brothers died. Thus all three of these pieces were entered after the brothers died -- thus after Nov 7 but before the entry dated November 21, the vocal trio K480. One other important note here is Mozart designated the setting for the Masonic funeral music in his work catalogue for 2 Violins, 2 Violas, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bassetthorn, 2 Oboes, 2 Horns and Basso. In the autograph the piece calls for 2 more Bassetthorns and a Contra Bassoon. Looking for a dating in July for the funeral music, Autexier found a clue in the Lamentation melody used in the middle of the work. He found the symbols of this theme to brought into connection with the ceremony of elevation to the Master, and a Master whose temple had been destroyed. One such case happened precisely in the summer of 1785 in Vienna. On August 12 Mozart attended the elevation of Carl von Koenig whose Lodge had been forbidden in May by the Inquisition. Autexier hypothesised the music played that day was the music we know as the Funeral Music and was originally wrote for two part Man's choir and orchestra. Two texts are preserved in a song collection that Mozart set to music, on poems of Gottlieb Leon, on this date also. The texts begin with words "In dunkle Schatten eingehulltet" and "Vollbracht ist die Arbeit der Meister". When the two Masonic brother died, Mozart re-scored this music used for the elevation ceremony for funeral music -- in the setting stated in his work catalogue. Then on December 7, 1785, a second Lodge funeral was given to honor Mecklenburg and the expanded setting was used for this. In short Autexier proposed three versions of the music; 1. On August 12, 1785, in Vienna Masonic lodge (2 male chorus) for elevation of Carl von Koenig (with 2 songs on text of Leon). 2. November 17, 1785, rescored (without voices) for funeral music. 3. December 7, 1785, again for funeral music (with expanded setting). Two studies have been made since then -- by Heinz Schuler (1992) and Jason B. Grant (2000) suggesting meanings in the music and exactly where played in the Masonic ritual, but I have not read either, so can not comment on them. Dennis Pajot