Great Mass in C minor, K. 427
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed the Great Mass in C minor during 1782 and 1783. He was aged 24 to 25 years old at that time. The work emerged after his marriage when he moved from Salzburg to Vienna. A letter dated the 4th of January 1783 reveals a specific claim about a vow. Mozart wrote to his father Leopold mentioning this promise. He stated he would write a mass if he brought his fiancée Constanze as his wife to Salzburg. Ulrich Konrad analyzed this single source document decades later. His conclusion challenges the traditional narrative of a fulfilled vow. Konrad found no unambiguous statement supporting the belief. No other authentic source exists to confirm the theory. The text does not clearly state the composition was for Constanze's recovery or their marriage.
The first performance occurred on Sunday the 26th of October 1783. This date marked the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. The venue was Saint Peter's Abbey church in Salzburg. Mozart had returned to his home town with Constanze. She had never met his father or sister Nannerl before this visit. The performers were musicians employed by Prince-Archbishop Count Hieronymus von Colloredo. These men were Mozart's former colleagues from the court orchestra. A rehearsal took place nearby in the Kapellhaus on the 23rd of October 1783. Only four movements were performed that day. The Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus comprised the event. Surviving parts and a score copy from around 1800 confirm this limited scope. Mozart tailored the soprano solos specifically for Constanze. Movements like Christe and Et incarnatus featured challenging coloratura passages. Written-out cadenzas appear in both Christe and Et incarnatus. The latter movement includes an unusual accompaniment of flute, oboe and bassoon.
Scholars note the work remains incomplete today. Large portions of the Credo are missing following the aria Et incarnatus est. The orchestration of only two surviving Credo movements is also incomplete. All of the Agnus Dei section has disappeared entirely. The Sanctus and Benedictus require editorial reconstruction as well. Various attempts to finish the score began after 1901. H. C. Robbins Landon published an edition with Eulenburg in 1956. Helmut Eder released a version through Bärenreiter in 1985. Franz Beyer issued his completion via Amadeus Edition Peters in 1989. Richard Maunder followed with Oxford University Press in 1990. Philip Wilby contributed a Novello edition in 2004. Robert Levin offered a Carus-Verlag version in 2005. Frieder Bernius and Uwe Wolf published their work in 2016. Clemens Kemme released a Breitkopf & Härtel edition in 2018. Ulrich Leisinger provided a Bärenreiter version in 2019. Some editors simply fill out missing orchestrations. Others compose new music using parody or period sketches.
The orchestra requires specific instrumental forces for this piece. Two soprano soloists, one tenor and one bass perform the vocal parts. A double chorus joins them on stage. The large orchestra includes two horns and two trumpets. Three trombones appear within the ensemble. Timpani and organ provide rhythmic and harmonic support. Strings form the core of the instrumental group. One flute appears only during the Et incarnatus est movement. This unique scoring choice highlights that specific section. Mozart studied Bach and Handel while composing the mass. Gottfried van Swieten facilitated his study of these earlier masters. The work embodies pomp associated with Salzburg traditions. It also anticipates symphonic masses by Joseph Haydn. Solo voices share duties with the full choir throughout the score.
Mozart synthesized Baroque influences into this sacred setting. He studied the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. These composers influenced the structure and style significantly. The mass shows emerging symphonic styles in its writing. It anticipated later works by Joseph Haydn regarding solo-choral sharing. The piece retains solemnity linked to local Salzburg customs. Yet it pushes boundaries toward a new symphonic era. Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs offers a complete Credo edition for modern use. His version completes the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus est. Additional music fills the rest of the Credo text. This edition combines with any other version of the Mass. Robert Xavier Rodriguez completed the Agnus Dei separately. Mozart reused Kyrie and Gloria music in Davide penitente cantata K. 469. Two new arias and a cadenza concluded that later work.
A significant modern revival occurred on the 20th of August 2016. Helmut Eder's reconstructed version appeared at Royal Albert Hall. This event marked the first time the work played during The Proms series. Ilan Volkov conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. The BBC Symphony Chorus joined the performance. Louise Alder, Carolyn Sampson, Benjamin Hulett and Matthew Rose sang the solos. Claudio Abbado recorded a Vienna Philharmonic version in 2016 as well. Ferenc Fricsay led a Berlin Radio Symphony recording in 1959. Sir Colin Davis conducted a London Symphony Orchestra release in February 1971. Raymond Leppard directed New Philharmonia Orchestra in 1974. Herbert von Karajan led Berliner Philharmoniker in 1981. Leonard Bernstein recorded with Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1991. Masaaki Suzuki released a Bach Collegium Japan edition in 2016.
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Common questions
When did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart compose the Great Mass in C minor?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed the Great Mass in C minor during 1782 and 1783. He was aged 24 to 25 years old at that time.
Why did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart write the Great Mass in C minor according to his letter?
Mozart wrote to his father Leopold on the 4th of January 1783 stating he would write a mass if he brought his fiancée Constanze as his wife to Salzburg. Ulrich Konrad analyzed this single source document decades later and found no unambiguous statement supporting the belief.
What happened during the first performance of the Great Mass in C minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
The first performance occurred on Sunday the 26th of October 1783 at Saint Peter's Abbey church in Salzburg. Only four movements were performed that day including the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus.
Which sections of the Great Mass in C minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart remain incomplete today?
Large portions of the Credo are missing following the aria Et incarnatus est and all of the Agnus Dei section has disappeared entirely. The orchestration of only two surviving Credo movements is also incomplete along with the Sanctus and Benedictus requiring editorial reconstruction.
Who conducted the modern revival of the Great Mass in C minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at Royal Albert Hall in 2016?
Ilan Volkov conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for the significant modern revival on the 20th of August 2016. Helmut Eder's reconstructed version appeared at Royal Albert Hall marking the first time the work played during The Proms series.