Maurerische Trauermusik
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The Maurerische Trauermusik (Masonic Funeral Music) in C minor, K. 477 (K. 479a), is an orchestral work composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1785[1] in his capacity as a member of the Freemasons.
The autograph manuscript of the work is preserved in the Berlin State Library.
History
[edit]Mozart's own entry into his catalogue under the heading "July 1785" may be an error; he most likely forgot to enter a new heading for November.[2] It was performed during a Masonic funeral service held on 17 November 1785 in memory of two of Mozart's Masonic brethren,[3] Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Count Franz Esterházy von Galántha,[4] members of the Viennese aristocracy.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Mozart_by_Joseph_Maria_Grassi.jpg/220px-Mozart_by_Joseph_Maria_Grassi.jpg)
The work uses the Gregorian chant psalm-tone, tonus peregrinus.[citation needed] The work is scored for 2 oboes, 1 clarinet, 3 basset horns, 1 contrabassoon, 2 horns and strings.[5] The basset horn parts were written for fellow Freemasons Anton David and Vincent Springer.[1]
On 20 November 2021 a new arrangement by Giulio Castronovo, created to match the orchestration of Mozart's Requiem in D minor, K. 626, (2 basset horns in F, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in D, 3 trombones, timpani and strings[6]), was premiered in the Schlosskirche Bayreuth by the baroque orchestra La Banda conducted by Sebastian Ruf as an introduction to a performance of the Requiem.[7][failed verification]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Heartz, Daniel (2009). Mozart, Haydn and Early Beethoven: 1781–1802. New York: W. W. Norton. p. 443.
- ^ "Symphonies: Series IV — Orchestral Works" (PDF). Neue Mozart-Ausgabe. 10 (11): IX. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- ^ Rosselli, John (1998). The Life of Mozart. Cambridge University Press. p. 116.
- ^ Cliff Eisen (2006). The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia, Cambridge University Press, Inc. p. 168
- ^ NMA score, p. 12
- ^ "Mozart: Masonic Funeral Music (Maurerische Trauermusik) KV 477 – arrangement matching the orchestration of the Requiem KV 626".
- ^ "Mozart Requiem", Schlosskirchenmusik Bayreuth, November 2021 (in German)
Further reading
[edit]- Konrad, Ulrich (2020). "Fragen zur Maurerischen Trauermusik KV 477", Mozart Studien 27, pp. 155–176
External links
[edit]- Maurerische Trauermusik, K. 477 (479a). Mozart's autograph in the Berlin State Library
- Maurerische Trauermusik KV 477: Score and critical report (in German) in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe
- Maurerische Trauermusik, K. 477/479a: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Audio on YouTube, Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan