Credits:

Wolfgang Brunner, Salzburger Hofmusik

Description:

Mozart's first encounter with Freemasonry dates back to 1773. Mozart, who was staying in Vienna at the time, learned of Freemasonry through the playwright Tobias von Gepler, but he was not yet an adult at the time, so he did not become a member. Mozart, who had many friends and inspirations within Freemasonry, was also active and composed about 10 pieces of music for the members. One of the best known is "Funeral Music for Freemasons," which was composed for the death of two members whom Mozart loved and respected, and was played at their farewell ceremony. It is a rigorous work in the old style, including a short Gregorian chant of about 8 minutes, and possesses a mournful atmosphere that is not usually associated with Mozart. The other vocal pieces were written to be sung by other members of the ensemble, and especially the cantata K623, a work from his last years, is exceptionally beautiful and solemn. Naxos Japan