	       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.



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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


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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
