Missa brevis in C major KV 258

The Missa brevis in C major , KV 258 “Piccolomini Mass”, is a mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart .

Work description

Kyrie . Allegro (solos and SATB choir)
Gloria . Allegro (solos and choir)
Creed
- Credo in unum Deum. Allegro (choir)
- Et incarnatus est. Adagio (solos SAT, choir)
- Et resurrexit. Allegro (solos and choir)
Sanctus . Andante maestoso - Allegro (choir)
Benedictus. Allegro (solos and choir)
Agnus Dei . Adagio (solos and choir)

The solemn character of the mass created by the kettledrum and trumpets is further emphasized by the oboe parts that were added later . The requirement of brevity deserves great attention. The strongly compressed final fugato of the Gloria and the unison representing the Trinity in the Credo have some peculiarities . In the Allegro, the Benedictus takes a stand against the quiet and solemn tradition of this movement with full cast and vocal double choirs. The Dona nobis pacem is integrated into the overall form of the Agnus Dei .

occupation

Soloists: soprano , alto , tenor , bass
mixed choir ( SATB )
Orchestra: 2 trumpets , timpani , 2 violins , basso continuo ( violoncello , bassoon , double bass , organ ); ad libitum : 2 oboes , 3 trombones .

The performance lasts approx. 20 minutes.

history

Mozart composed this mass in 1775.

Occasionally the Missa brevis KV 258 is nicknamed the “Piccolomini Mass”, although its origin is unclear. In the past, the fair was also known by the nickname “Spaur-Messe”. Leopold Mozart had mentioned a mass in a letter to Wolfgang Amadeus on May 28, 1778, which the latter composed in 1776 on the occasion of Ignaz von Spaur's consecration as auxiliary bishop of Brixen . For a long time there was uncertainty in Mozart research as to which work this “Spaur Mass” was exactly. Alfred Einstein gave the trade fair KV 258 the name "Spaur-Messe" without giving any further reasons. Recent research unanimously assumes that the “Spaur Mass” is the Mass in C major KV 257 . The musicologist Alan Tyson was able to make this plausible in 1987 by comparing the music paper used by Mozart. This was confirmed in 2007 by the discovery of a set of parts in Brixen with handwritten entries by Wolfgang Amadeus and Leopold Mozart.

literature

Hartmut Schick : The solennen "Missae breves" KV 258 and 259. In: Silke Leopold (ed.): Mozart manual. Metzler and Bärenreiter, Stuttgart and Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-476-02077-0 , pp. 190–192.
Alfred Beaujean: Missa brevis in C major KV 258 ("Spaur Mass"). In: Hans Gebhard (Ed.): Harenberg Chormusikführer. Harenberg, Dortmund 1999, ISBN 3-611-00817-6 , p. 608.
Bernhard Janz (Ed.): Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mass in C. Spaur-Messe K 258. Piano reduction. Carus, Stuttgart 2003, ISMN M-007-08467-7.
Arnold Werner-Jensen: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Music guide. Volume 2: Vocal Music. Reclam, Leipzig 2001, ISBN 3-379-20023-9 , pp. 21-23.

Web links

Missa in C KV 258 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition

Missa brevis in C major KV 258 : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project

Sheet music in the public domain of Missa brevis in C major KV 258 in the Choral Public Domain Library - ChoralWiki (English)

swell

^ The letters of WA Mozart and his family. Volume 4. Munich / Leipzig 1914, pp. 25–35 Letter from Leopold Mozart to his wife and son, Salzburg, May 28, 1778 at Zeno.org .
^ Alan Tyson: Studies of the Autograph Scores. Cambridge, Massachusetts 1987
↑ Hildegard Herrmann-Schneider: Mystery of international Mozart research solved. Press release June 2007 (PDF, 113 kB)

[1] The letters of WA Mozart and his family. Volume 4. Munich / Leipzig 1914, pp. 25–35 Letter from Leopold Mozart to his wife and son, Salzburg, May 28, 1778 at Zeno.org .

[2] Alan Tyson: Studies of the Autograph Scores. Cambridge, Massachusetts 1987

[3] Hildegard Herrmann-Schneider: Mystery of international Mozart research solved. Press release June 2007 (PDF, 113 kB)