The Missa solemnis in C minor, K. 139/47a, is a mass composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the summer of 1768 in Vienna.[1] It is scored for SATB soloists, SATB choir, violin I and II, 2 violas, 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 2 clarini (high trumpets), 3 trombones colla parte, timpani and basso continuo.
| Missa solemnis in C minor | |
|---|---|
| "Waisenhaus" | |
| Mass by W. A. Mozart | |
 Waisenhauskirche (Orphanage Church) of Vienna | |
| Key | C minor |
| Catalogue | K. 139/47a |
| Occasion | Consecration of the Waisenhauskirche |
| Performed | 7 December 1768: Vienna |
| Movements | 6 |
| Vocal | SATB choir and soloists |
| Instrumental | |
Background edit
The mass was commissioned by the Jesuit priest Father Ignaz Parhammer, who asked Mozart for music for the consecration of the new Orphanage Church – Waisenhauskirche – on the Rennweg.[2] The commission gives the mass its nickname Waisenhausmesse (Orphanage Mass). Mozart also composed a trumpet concerto suitable for performance by a boy as well as an offertory, both thought to be lost.[2] Indeed, due to cataloging errors, this mass was also considered lost for many years.[3][4]
The first performance took place on 7 December 1768 at the church, in the presence of the court. The twelve-year-old Mozart conducted a choir of orphans in a performance that received "universal acclaim and admiration".[2] This mass is considered Mozart's most ambitious work to be performed up until that point in time,[5] and was his first and longest missa longa.[6]
Structure edit
The mass consists of six movements. Performances require approximately 40 minutes.
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Despite its designation as a C minor mass, the music is predominantly in C major;[3] masses wholly set in a minor key were considered unusual and funereal in the classical period.[4][7]
References edit
- ^ Robert Dearling (1982). The Music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Symphonies. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-8386-2335-0.
- ^ a b c Hermann Abert, MR Stewart Spencer (2007) [1923–24]. W. A. Mozart. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-300-07223-5.
- ^ a b Stanley Sadie (2006). Mozart: The Early Years 1756–1781. OUP Oxford. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-393-06112-3.
- ^ a b Alfred Einstein, Arthur Mendel (1945). Mozart: His Character, His Work. p. 323. ISBN 978-0-19-500732-9.
- ^ Julian Rushton (2006). Mozart. Oxford University Press. p. 22.
- ^ Eisen, Cliff; Keefe, Simon P. (4 January 2006). The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia. p. 272. ISBN 978-1-139-44878-9.
- ^ Salieri, Antonio (January 2002). "Introduction". Antonio Salieri, Mass in D minor. p. x. ISBN 978-0-89579-505-2.
External links edit
- Missa in c K. 139 (114a; 47a): Score and critical report (in German) in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe
- Free scores of Missa Solemnis in C minor (Waisenhausmesse), KV 139 in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Missa solemnis in C minor, K.139/47a: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project