Leopold Mozart's Missa Solemnis in C and W.A. Mozart's K115

[dennis]

Two days ago I posted on Leopold Mozart's Lauretanische Litanei. The second CD of church music I own by Leopold Mozart is his Missa solemnis in C-major. This Mass is a very solid work, and also has a very interesting history in the Wolfgang Mozart catalogue of works. As Leopold Mozart's Missa solemnis and the Mass attributed to Wolfgang (K115) are so intertwined, the story of both are linked together here.

Our history of this Mass in C will begin in June 1860 when Ludwig Köchel ascertained an "autograph" of a Mass in the possession of the Offenbach publisher August André. This autograph consisted of the complete Kyrie, Gloria, and Credo and the first 9 measures of the Sanctus, all scored for 4-voices and organ. Köchel remarked the manuscript had "originated according to the handwriting in the beginning of the 1770s". In 1862 he assigned it to the year 1771 and placed it under the number 115 in his Mozart Thematic Catalogue (K¹).

In 1876 the firm Breitkopf and Härtel began plans to publish the complete works of Mozart (AMA) in 23 series with a supplement for "significant incomplete works". The Mass K115 was published in May 1887 in Series 24, Nr.28. Later it was published by the same firm in full score. In the years following numerous other arrangements appeared.

In the early 20th Century scholars moved the Mass chronologically. Wyzewa/St. Foix and Abert thought the Mass was written at the end of Mozart's Bologna trip of 1770. Although by this time the autograph had been lost, they thought the handwriting and paper showed a connection with the other Bolognese compositions. Ludwig Schiedermair and Wilhelm Kurthen believed the Mass originated in late summer 1773 in Vienna. Alfred Einstein saw it more contemporary with the Trinitatis Mass (K167), composed in Salzburg in June 1773. Einstein believed it was in fact the "immediate fruit" of his studies of the church music of Michael Haydn, Johann Ernst Eberlin and Anton Cajetan Adlgasser during these years. In his Mozart biography Einstein praised the Mass, saying it "might be called a 'Motet Mass', not in the sense of the 16th Century but in that of the 18th...in this sense a masterwork by the 18 year old composer". He pointed out that during Mozart's Vienna stay of July to September 1773 there can be shown not the slightest reference of Mozart with church music. In K³ (1936) Einstein re-numbered the Mass K166d, placing it in early summer 1773 in Salzburg. Regarding its unfinished state, Einstein believed mozart perhaps stopped
because the Archbishop demanded brevity but at the same time did not wish to renounce brilliance.

In 1965 the Köchel Catalogue was again revised, but this Mass in C remained in the same position. The editors of K⁶ kept Einstein's remarks, only adding it could also be a copy of a Mass of an unknown composer.

Karl Pfannhauser is to be credited with solving the mystery of the Mass in C, K115/166d. In 1963 the Sam Fox Publishing Company in New York printed a piano reduction with text of a Mass in C-major by Leopold Mozart. The edition was based on a set of parts in Munich with 1764 written in the Tenor and Bass parts, in addition to an orchestral score in the British Museum in London. Pfannhauser also brought forth a set of parts which originated in the 18th Century in St. Peter in Salzburg--having entries in some parts from the hand of Leopold Mozart. This work of Leopold Mozart had been listed by Max Seiffert in Volume 4 of his 1908 Catalogue of Leopold Mozart's Works for voices and orchestra as Nr.2. Seiffert listed this Mass's setting for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass (chorus and solos), 2 Violins, Viola, Contrabass (with Cello) and Organ, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets and Timpani.

Pfannhauser shows numerous concurrencies of this Mass in C (Seiffert IV/2) with K115. A few examples are the 22 Allegro measures "Gratias" to "Filius Patris" of K115 correspond in Leopold's Mass to the setting of the same text, however in different tempos. The first "Qui tollis" from K115 appears in Seiffert IV/2 also in changed time. The double fugues "Cum Sancto Spiritu" are identical in both Masses except for a tempo change from Vivace to Allegro. Without going through all the changes it becomes obvious the Mass K115 is an "ad hoc" written Continuo extract or the Continuo-draft of a Mass, after which Leopold Mozart had fashioned his large Mass in C-major. As the Mass (Seiffert IV/2) originated before 1764--Wolfgang being only 8 in this year--it is obvious the outline K115 is a work of Leopold's and not Wolfgang's.

In a 1981 publication of Leopold Mozart's Mass in C-major (called "Missa Solemnis" in this edition) Reinhold Kubik states the Mass (Seiffert IV/2) was probably not composed for the Salzburg Cathedral, but for the arch-chapter house of St. Peter and before 1764. Kubik tells us that Leopold's Mass owes much to that type of Neapolitan Cantata-Mass (little used in Salzburg) in the stile misto, "that church style in which partly polyphonically composed choruses alternate with soloistic parts of a concertante or arioso character". Kubik points to the Salzburg Capellmeister Johann Ernst Eberliin, who used solo parts in his masses, but hardly ever extended this to self contained arias. It is apparent to Kubik the influence here was that of the Viennese church musicians (such as Johann Joseph Fux), who were influenced greatly by the Italian traditions of church music. One example he gives is the use of stopped trumpets and covered timpani in the Crucifixus, which point to the Viennese custom of using these muted instruments at funeral music.

Regarding the lost autograph of K115, the Sotheby (London) catalogue of April 16, 1975, listed as Nr.177 this autograph as "The Property of a Gentleman". In the remarks of the catalogue this was written: "According to information we have received from the owner the manuscript was discovered about 3 years ago wrapped in a parcel with office papers and letters in one of the André warehouses at Offenbach and judging from the note on the wrapping paper it must have been there, unrecognized, for about 100 years". According to Reinhold Kubik he received a postal communication from Sotheby's on May 5, 1981, that the autograph had been auctioned off that date. I know of no reports of its whereabouts or description of it after this.

Kubik states the autograph of K115 is most likely in Leopold's hand. K115 has always been described as a fragment, but it is uncertain if it breaks off in the 9th measure of the Sanctus, or the continuation is lost. Its description of 12 pages with 20 written on sides points to the breaking off of the work.

As a footnote, it should be noted the text passage "Et resurrexit" of Leopold Mozart's Mass in C-major musically corresponds with the musical setting passages "Regina Virginum" and "Regina Sanctorium omnium" of a Litaniae in B of Ignaz Holzbauer, first performed in Vienna on August 16, 1765. If this is a matter of copying by Holzbauer or just a common theme of the 18th Century is not known.

It also must be pointed out that the Crucifixus section of Leopold's Mass in C-major and the same section in Wolfgang's Mass in c-minor K139 have a definite thematic and instrumentation connection. It is apparent that Wolfgang used his father's Mass as a model for the Crucifixus section of this Vienna Mass.

As I stated in the beginning, I own this Mass on CD. I find it very enjoyable. One section that stands out as my personal favorite is the Benedictus, with a delightful Flute solo complimenting the solo Soprano. The CD is on the Koch Schwann label (313 028 H1); Chor der St. Hedwig-Kathedrale Berlin Domkapelle Berlin, conducted by Roland Bader.

Dennis Pajot