Posted By BillHeise on April 23, 2011

This is my favorite of many masses that have been written. It comes from Mozart and and is entitled The Coronation Mass, although the music experts refer to it as Mass No. 15 in C major, KV 317. Wikipedia gives us these useless facts about the Coronation Mass.

This Mass was completed on March 23, 1779 in Salzburg. Mozart had just returned to the city after 18 months of fruitless job hunting in Paris and Mannheim, and his father Leopold promptly got him a job as court organist and composer at Salzburg Cathedral. The mass was almost certainly premiered there on Easter Sunday April 4, 1779. Contrary to common misunderstandings, it was not intended for the church of Maria Plain near Salzburg, and was probably not performed at the Imperial coronations in Prague in 1790 and 1792. It appears to have acquired the nickname “Coronation” at the Imperial court in Vienna in the early nineteenth century.

Even if you are not a fan of masses in general (and let’s face it, few today are), you should at least listen to the Credo, the third part of the mass (labeled as such below). It plays a key part of my next book. I give you some reference if you are not familiar with the Latin liturgical text of the Christian liturgy.

—–

Kyrie and Gloria

The Credo (my favorite):

The Sanctus and Benedictus

The Agnus Dei

Have a great Easter!

Categories: What I'm Listening to This Week
Tags: