(Queen of Heaven), a Marian antiphon, was set by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

three times during his time at the Salzburg Cathedral. The best-known composition of the Latin for Eastertide is K. 276, a setting for four soloists, choir and orchestra, probably written in 1779. He wrote two earlier settings, K. 108 and K 127, both for soprano, choir and orchestra.

History and music

When

was working at Salzburg Cathedral, he set the Latin Marian antiphon for Eastertide three times. The earliest is K. 108, a setting for

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

, choir and orchestra, written in May 1771 after Mozart's return from Italy. A year later, he wrote K. 127 for the same vocal forces, as a work in three movements. The solo part was composed for Maria Magdalena Haydn, the wife of

Michael Haydn Johann Michael Haydn (; 14 September 173710 August 1806) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn. Life Michael Haydn was born in 1737 in the Austrian village of Rohrau, near the Hungarian border. ...

and court singer, probably in 1779, after his return from Paris. Mozart composed a setting for four soloists, four-part choir and orchestra, K. 276.

K. 108

The in C major, KV 108, was written in 1771. It is in four movements for solo soprano and orchestra. Mozart adapted the style of the Italian

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

, with the choir mostly in

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margar ...

style. The orchestra features

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

s and

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...

K. 127

The in B-flat major, K. 127, is styled like an concerto, with an opening fast movement in sonata form, a slow middle movement, and another fast movement, again in sonata form. In the first movement, the instruments present the themes. In the second movement, the setting of the text is dominant, with precedence over musical form, such as choral interjections "Resurrexit" within an arioso "Quia quem meruisti". In the final movement, "Alleluja", the virtuoso soprano interacts with the choir.

K. 276

Mozart's third setting of the Marian calls for an orchestra of two trumpets and timpani, two

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

and

basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...

. It is in

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

, and in one movement, in which the soloists often alternate with the choir. The complete text is rendered again at the end, giving it the idea of a recapitulation.

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1779 compositions Compositions in C major Marian antiphons