# Mozart's Early Masses



## PlaySalieri

I thought I would try to get a chat going on this topic.

Have neglected the early masses pre coronation mass essentially believing they probably would not be worth listening too - accomplished perhaps - but not interesting enough.

Well K139 in C minor - a large scale missa solemnis - changed my mind about that. I think it is barely less notable than the Coronation Mass. beautiful choral writing throughout and some fine solos.


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## KenOC

stomanek said:


> Well K139 in C minor - a large scale missa solemnis - changed my mind about that. I think it is barely less notable than the Coronation Mass. beautiful choral writing throughout and some fine solos.


Listening to it now. A big, dramatic work and seemingly a very fine one.

I hope my math is wrong, but it seems that Mozart composed this in 1768, when he was -- wait for it -- 12! Is that really possible?


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## silentio

Thanks for bringing this up.

When I was a little kid, my dad bought me a series called Mozart 100 Masterpieces. The piece that instantly captured me was the Kyrie from K.139, _*Waisenhaus*_. It played a very important role in my early days with classical music. I just loved the "gothic" mode of the opening C minor (it is probably darker than anything Mozart ever written in his life, with the exceptions of the minor piano concertos and Requiem), and then the sudden joyous leap to C major section, followed by a serene, chamber-music-like F major _Christe eleison_. To my imagination at that time, the soundscape of the piece was synonymous with the beautiful landscape of European churches, castles, and paintings seen on documentaries. Now that I grew up and appreciated Mozart more as he should be, I still find K.139 stands out among his early outputs.

I did a bit read up. The story behind K.139 is quite touching actually. The mass was commissioned for the consecration of an Orphanage Church (thus the name Orphanage Mass). The 12-year-old Mozart conducted the choir of orphans. This can actually be made into a short story!


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## trazom

That's the "Waisenhaus" mass. If you like that piece you might enjoy the "Dominicus Mass" in C Major K.66 which, despite its catalogue number, was actually composed a year after K.139, when Mozart would've been 13. They're usually grouped together as Mozart's most ambitious mass settings from this early period.

I'm not as familiar with the early missa brevis, tending towards the opinion that much of his most inspired sacred music at this period was written in other forms like the litanies, vespers, the Regina coeli settings and of course k.222, the motet that Mozart was proud enough to share with his former teacher Padre Martini. There's a lot of truly great music there. Just recently I found this little gem: 



. Abert mentions K.192, the F major missa brevis, as the finest of those early short masses, maybe because there's a higher prominence of counterpoint and greater attempts at motivic unity throughout the piece.


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## PlaySalieri

KenOC said:


> Listening to it now. A big, dramatic work and seemingly a very fine one.
> 
> I hope my math is wrong, but it seems that Mozart composed this in 1768, when he was -- wait for it -- 12! Is that really possible?


12 or 13. It really makes nonsense of Goethe's claim that comparing Mozart's early works to Mendellsohn's is like comparing kids chatter to adult talk.


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## Animal the Drummer

That it does.

Just as an interesting aside, I believe there's an early Missa Brevis in C major which, in part, makes use of the four-note motif which would one day begin the finale of the "Jupiter".


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## lluissineu

I've always loved the K257, credo mass. The Agnus Dei is one of these pieces I like to 'conduct' at home when I'm alone with my batoon. Don't know why but I like boy's choirs, in that case The King's college of Cambridge.

Mozart is always incredible, even in his early works as all masses which Have been named.


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## Bruckner Anton

It seems to me that Mozart more often recycled materials from his masses for repeat use in the genre, making his pre coronation masses a little bit less attractive. But, I also think that they are worthy of more listening and recordings. 
BTW, the Kyrie in D minor K.341 is a very interesting piece (not from a complete mass). It is a neglected treasure, so I would like to recommend it here.


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## PlaySalieri

Bruckner Anton said:


> It seems to me that Mozart more often recycled materials from his masses for repeat use in the genre, making his pre coronation masses a little bit less attractive. But, I also think that they are worthy of more listening and recordings.
> *BTW, the Kyrie in D minor K.341 is a very interesting piece (not from a complete mass). It is a neglected treasure, so I would like to recommend it here.[*/QUOTE]
> 
> agreed - I first heard it on gardiner's rec of the requiem - worthy of the great requiem too.


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