Explanation: Discussion of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Grand Mass in C Minor, K. 427/417a, will be Mozart's Grand Mass in C Minor divided into two parts. Part One will examine the circumstances and in­ K.427/417a fluences in Mozart's life during the time he wrote the Mass. Part Two by R. Paul Crabb will discuss possible reasons the Mass remained incomplete, the history of the manuscript, and a comparison of the two performing editions that are presently available. church subordinate to the state. Shortly after his arrival in Vienna Musical implications of this in 1781, Mozart became reac­ Part One political/ideological shift included quainted with the Weber family and limited use of instruments in church married one of the daughters, Con­ Mozart's Masses and the and the performance of musical stanze. There is a direct relationship Political Environment Masses only when the archbishop between Mozart's courtship of Con­ performed the service.3 In church stanze and the composition of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's con­ services where the traditional Mass, although numerous details tributions to sacred choral repertory musical Mass was prohibited, con­ about that relationship remain are well-known to many choral gregational singing using German sketchy. A portion of a letter written musicians. In addition to litanies, of­ chorales was to be substituted by Wolfgang to his father on 4 fertories, and the familiar Vesperae (much to the dismay of many January 1783 is often cited when solennes de Confessore, K. 339, Catholics).4 A letter from Mozart to considering the effect the marriage Mozart wrote at least sixteen Masses his former teacher, Padre Martini, to Constanze had on Mozart and his before moving from Salzburg to written on 4 September 1776, fur­ motivation for writing Grand Mass in Vienna in 1781. The culmination of ther describes the imposed restric­ C Minor. Mozart's sacred choral composi­ tions: tions is reached in Grand Mass in C I made the promise in my heart of Minor, written during 1782-1783 in Our church music is very different hearts and hope to be able to keep it. When I made it my wife was not Vienna. In this Mass (scored for one from that of Italy, since a mass with the whole Kyrie, the Gloria, yet married; yet, as I was absolute­ flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two ly determined to marry her after horns, two trumpets, three trom­ the Credo, the Epistle Sonata, the Offertory or Motet, the Sanctus her recovery, it was easy for me to bones, violin I and II, viola, make it....The score of half a violoncello, bass, timpani, organ, and the Agnus Dei must not last longer than three quarters of an mass, which is still lying here double SATB chorus, and bass, hour. This applies even to the most waiting to be finished, is the best tenor, and two soprano soloists), proof that I really made the pro­ Solemn Mass said by the Arch­ 6 Mozart's mastery of compositional bishop himself. So you see that a mise. technique produced an effect so special study is required for this stunning that some scholars (e.g., kind of compositon. At the same In this letter, Mozart referred to hav­ Einstein, Landon, and Keys) label time, the mass must have all the ing made avow. What precisely was Grand Mass in C Minor as his best instruments-trumpets, drums, the vow? One can safely deduce that choral composition.! and so forth.s it was associated with Constanze, Mozart's musical achievements in but the specific relationship is the Mass are even more remarkable Mozart's Marriage and unclear. Was it a promise to com­ when one considers the musical Grand Mass in C Minor pose a Mass if Constanze accepted restrictions imposed by the rulers in his marriage proposal, or was it Salzburg and Vienna between 1772 Archbishop Colloredo's relation­ Mozart's effort to inspire and 1790.2 In Salzburg, Archbishop ship with Leopold and Wolfgang Constanze's recovery from an un­ Sigismund von Schrattenbach, who Mozart was strained. Not only were named illness?? Also, this letter reigned from 1753-1771, had been the prohibitive musical guidelines in cites an unfinished Mass. Was the an enthusiastic supporter of the arts. the musicians' disfavor, but Leopold Mass mentioned in the letter Grand Musicians, such as Eberlin, Michael was often overlooked by the arch­ Mass in C Minor, or was the refer­ Haydn, Leopold Mozart, and even bishop when filling important ence to a different composition? young Wolfgang, were able to work musical positions in the court. Due to inconclusive extant with little political interference. Disagreements between the twenty­ evidence, only conjectures can be The attitude of the Salzburg court five-year-old Wolfgang and the made concerning the promise and changed abruptly when, in 1772, Salzburg political rulers eventually its meaning. Most likely, however, Hieronymus Colloredo succeeded led to the infamous kick from Count the composition described in the let­ Schrattenbach as the archbishop in Arco and the composer's dismissal ter was the Mass, K. 427. The date of Salzburg. Colloredo, who was sup­ from his positions as court organist the letter (4 January 1783) coincides ported by Emperor Joseph II in and concertmaster. At that time with the time Mozart was writing this Vienna, soon attempted to make the Wolfgang decided to make his per­ Mass (1782-1783). Also, Grand Mass manent home in Vienna-a decision in C Minpr remained and still re­ Crabb is on the faculty at the University which eventually had a great impact mains "half a Mass" as Mozart re­ of Alabama in Huntsville. on Mozart and his music. ferred to it in the correspondence. August 1985 Page 13 Mozart took Constanze to Salz­ heading on Mozart's manuscript of their compositions. Mozart was no burg during the summer of 1783 for these vocalises- "Per la mia Con­ exception; his ties to the first half of the purpose of improving her rela­ stanze" (For my beloved Constanze) the eighteenth century are readily tionship with Leopold and Wolf­ and "Per la mia consorte" (For my apparent. Leopold, Wolfgang's first gang's sister Nannerl. To aid in the beloved spouse)-establish that musical influence, was trained in the reconciliation, Wolfgang planned to these exercises were indeed for Con­ Baroque tradition in the elder have Constanze sing one of the stanze.6 Mozart's native Augsburg. Here soprano solo parts in the Mass. It The premier performance of Leopold was exposed to J. S. Bach is not known how many of the Grand Mass in C Minor probably oc­ both through the Leipzig cantor's soprano solos Constanze sang, but curred on 26 October 1783 in St. music-which was available com­ existing sketches of vocalises (K. Peter's Church of Salzburg. 9 mercially-and through Phillipp 393/385b) are similar to the solo Because the Mass currently exists in David Krauter, who was a former soprano part in the "Kyrie," sug­ an incomplete state-and scholars student of Bach's and was later gesting Constanze's participation in are unaware that the Mass was ever employed as a cantor in Augsburg's that opening movement. The finished-one questions the pro­ Annakirche. Further, one must not cedure for the first performance. It is discount the effect conservative unlikely the Mass was performed Salzburg composers-especially with an incomplete Mass text. One Michael Haydn and Eberlin-had on possible solution was for Mozart to Wolfgang. Compositions by these "borrow" music from earlier Masses two musicians were copied as exer­ to complete the missing sections. cises by Wolfgang, a practice that The practice of using a melody or reflects his (or Leopold's) opinion of part of a work in more than one their didactic value. Eberlin's composition was not, of course, un­ "Benedixisti Domini," for example, common with eighteenth-century was used as a reference for Mozart composers. One should also as late as 1775 in the nineteen-year­ acknowledge the possibility that the old's "Misericordias Domini," K. Mass was completed and parts of it 222/205a. 11 lost following the premier perfor­ There is another factor related mance. There is, however, no more specifically to Mozart's com­ evidence supporting this position of the Mass, K. 427, that argument.10 must not be overlooked. Soon after moving to Vienna in 1781, Mozart Baroque Influences on met and became a friend of Baron Grand Mass in C Minor Gottfried van Swieten. Van Swieten, a dedicated patron of the arts, was Many composers in the last half of director of Vienna's Imperial the eighteenth century displayed Library. 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