mozart and freemasonry

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Mozart and Freemasonry Author(s): Katharine Thomson Reviewed work(s): Source: Music & Letters, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan., 1976), pp. 25-46 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/733806 . Accessed: 17/11/2011 14:01 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Music & Letters. http://www.jstor.org

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Page 1: Mozart and Freemasonry

Mozart and FreemasonryAuthor(s): Katharine ThomsonReviewed work(s):Source: Music & Letters, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Jan., 1976), pp. 25-46Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/733806 .Accessed: 17/11/2011 14:01

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Music &Letters.

http://www.jstor.org

Page 2: Mozart and Freemasonry

MOZART AND FREEMASONRY

BY KATHARINE THOMSON

ON 14 December 1784 Mozart was initiated into the degree of Apprentice at the lodge 'Beneficence' (Zur Wohltdtigkeit) in Vienna. That he wrote a number of works for specifically Masonic occasions and that The Magic Flute is a Masonic allegory, is, of course, well known. But the full implications of his membership of the Order of Freemasons for an understanding of his music are rarely explained. While it is true that the uninitiated cannot fully understand the Masonic symbolism in Mozart's music, a comparison of his overtly Masonic works with some of his instrumental compositions may help us to attain a more penetrating insight into his music.

We must remember that eighteenth-century Freemasonry dif- fered considerably from the institution as we know it today. It has been officially described as:

... the activity of closely-united men who, employing symbolical forns borrowed principally from the mason's trade and from architecture, work for the welfare of mankind, striving morally to ennoble them- selves and others, and thereby to bring about a universal league of of mankind, which they aspire to exhibit even now on a small scale. '

The first Grand Lodge was established in England in I 7I 7, by some of Newton's followers. Its basis was rationalist and anti-Catholic. The Order soon spread to the continent of Europe, and by the I730S lodges had been set up in France, Germany, Austria and elsewhere. Among the many intellectuals who became Masons were Voltaire, Goethe, Lessing and Herder, and, among musicians, Gluck and Haydn as well as Mozart.

The ideology of Freemasonry, characteristic of the Enlightenment, reflected the outlook of the most advanced thinkers of the age. Lessing expounded its aims as follows:

By the exercise of Brotherly Love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, created by one Almighty Being and sent into the world for the aid, support and protection of each other. On these principles Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and by its dictates conciliates true friendship among those who might other- wise have remained at a distance. 2

I Quoted by E. J. Dent, Mozart's Operas, 2nd ed., London, 1974, p. 230. 2 A. Cohen, Lessing's Masonic Dialogues, London, 1927, p. 55.

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Such broadly humanitarian principles, widely acceptable as they seem today, appeared dangerous in a rigid quasi-feudal society. In 1738 Pope Clement XII issued an edict banning the Freemasons. The ban was not at first observed in Austria, where Francis I was himself a member of the Order; but after his death the Freemasons were persecuted by his widow, Maria Theresa, who was a devout Catholic. Joseph II, wvho succeeded her, protected them.

During the second half of the century a number of different branches of Freemasonry developed, of which the most significant were the Rosicrucians and the Illuminati. While the former emphasized the mystical aspects of Masonry, the aims of the Illuminati were more rationalist and political. Since the latter were particularly strong in Southern Germany and Austria, it is worth studying this movement in greater detail.

The Order of Illuminati was founded by Adam Weishaupt, a professor of canon law at the University of Ingolstadt in Bavaria, in 1776. His aim was to counteract Jesuit influence by founding a 'League against the enemies of Reason and Humanity'. Basing his ideas on Rousseau and Diderot, he asserted that it was possible 'to achieve universal happiness through moral perfection, and to abolish slavery through reason, based on the study of nature'.3 He proposed to set up 'secret schools of wisdom' for the purpose of educating mankind. He described his system in the following words:

I have contrived a system which possesses every advantage. It attracts Christians of every communion, gradually frees them from all religious prejudices, cultivates the social virtues, and animates them by a great, feasible and speedy prospect of universal happiness in a state of liberty and moral equality, freed from the obstacles which subordination and inequalities of rank and wealth throw in our way.4

Weishaupt's Order was at first separate from Freemasonry. Later an attempt was made to infiltrate Masonic lodges, and in 1782 one of the leaders, Adolf von Knigge (a writer from Hanover), travelled all over Germany and Austria to win recruits to the movement. Although it seems that the membership was never large, the Illuminati succeeded in gaining control of a number of lodges, especially in Vienna.

Naturally a rationalist, anti-clerical, secret society, which proclaimed belief in liberty and equality, soon aroused the suspicion of the authorities. A campaign initiated by the Jesuits, and supported by members of the rival Rosicrucian Order, led to the banning of the Illuminati in Bavaria in 1785. Persecution of Freemasons generally, and of the Illuminati in particular, followed in Bavaria,

3J. Robison, Proofs of a Conspiracy, Edinburgh, I797, p. 113. " T. Frost, Secret Societies of the European Revolution, London, 1876, p. 28.

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although in Austria the regime of Joseph II was more liberal, and neither Freemasons nor Illuminati were banned. All the same, the emperor thought it wise to keep a watch over the activities of secret societies; in December 1785 he issued an edict ordering that the eight Viennese lodges be reduced to three, and that records of membership and meetings be submitted regularly to the police. By this means the influence of the Illuminati, which had been very strong in certain lodges, was considerably diminished.

This edict was the first step towards controlling public opinion and detecting unrest. After the French Revolution of 1789, the police were instructed 'to discover any discontent among the people, all dangerous thoughts, and especially any incipient rebellion', and 'to discover all persons who are or might be dangerous to the state'.5 Freemasons naturally came under suspicion, especially after the publication of attacks by a renegade Mason, Leopold Aloys Hoffman, who had been secretary of the lodge 'Beneficence' of which Mozart was a member.6 Rumours were spread that the Illuminati were responsible for the French Revolution, and attacks on lodges were intensified after the discovery of a 'Jacobin plot' in 1794. In the atmosphere of fear and suspicion which ensued, the whole Masonic movement was weakened, and the Illuminati virtually ceased to exist. The history of this movement is hard to unravel, since its organization was secret, and much of the information stems from hostile sources. But its influence was undoubtedly far greater than its comparatively small membership would lead one to suppose.

The topographer Huebner, writing in I 792, reported that Count Gilowsky, one of the leaders of the Illuminati in Salzburg, used to hold secret meetings by night in the lonely grotto of Aigen, 'with his friends von Ammann, Mozart and Barisani'.7 There is insufficient evidence, however, to establish whether Mozart was ever a member of the Illuminati before he was initiated in the lodge 'Beneficence' in I784. Illuminist influence was strong in this lodge; the Grand Master, Otto von Gemmingen, was a member of the Illuminati, and in I778 Mozart had composed music (unfortunately not extant) for Gemmingen's drama Semiramis on an Egyptian theme, based on Voltaire.

The leader of all the Illuminati in Vienna was Joseph von Sonnenfels, one of Mozart's patrons. Another member of the Order was Ignaz von Born, a distinguished mineralogist, who was a close friend of Mozart's. He was the founder and Grand Master of the lodge 'True Harmony' (Zur wahren Eintracht), at which Mozart frequently attended meetings. In this lodge, too, the influence of the

5 E. Wangermann, From Joseph II to the Jacobin Trials, 2nd ed., London, I969, p. 37. 6 It has been suggested that Hoffman was the prototype of Monostatos in The Magic

Flute (Dent, op. cit., p. 223). 7 R. Koch, Br. Mozart, Freimaurer und Illuminat, Bad Reichenhall, 19I 1.

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Illuminati was strong. Born had been honoured by the Emperor Joseph II for his

discovery of a new method of smelting metals, and the occasion was celebrated by his fellow Masons at a ceremony on 24 April 1785, for which Mozart composed the cantata Die Maurerfreude (K.47I). We know something about Born's political views from his writings, which include satires on the clergy. He was a man of great integrity, as was shown by the fact that during the persecution of the Illuminati in Bavaria he wrote an open letter to the press, withdrawing from membership of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, as a protest against the action of the authorities:

I declare myself to be an open enemy of ignorant monks, wYho ought never to be entrusted with the education of youth: I declare that the words Jesuitry and Fanaticism can be equated with roguery and ignorance, superstition and stupidity: in short my opinion is opposed to what seems to be the official opinion in Bavaria.,,

Born also wrote a book about the Egyptian mysteries, which contains passages bearing a close resemblance to the ritual scenes in The Magic Flute. 9 He withdrew from the Order in 1786, at a time when there was considerable dissension within the lodges as a result of Joseph's decree. But his friendship with Mozart lasted until his death in July 1791, a few months before Mozart's own death.

We know from the records of lodge meetings, as well as from his compositions for ceremonies, that Mozart was an active member of the Brotherhood. After his death, a Masonic oration was delivered at the lodge 'Crowned Hope' (Zur gekrdnten Hoffnung), which stated that

He was a diligent member of our Order; brotherly love, a peaceable disposition; advocacy of a good cause; beneficence; a true, sincere sense of pleasure whenever he could help one of his Brethren with his talents: these were the chief characteristics of his nature.0L

It was through Mozart's influence that his father, Leopold, joined the Order in the spring of 1785; at about this time, too, Haydn was initiated, and the close friendship between the two composers make it almost certain that this was due to Mozart's influence.

There are not many references to Freemasonry in Mozart's letters. His sister Nannerl is reported to have said that Leopold had destroyed a number of letters for reasons of security. It is known that Constanze also destroyed documents which might be incrimi- nating during the persecution of Freemasons after Mozart's death. The main evidence of Mozart's interest in Masonic ideology

8 L. Engel, Geschickte des Illuminaten Ordens, Berlin, 906.

s Born may have been the prototype of Sarastro. It has been suggested that he had a share in the authorship of the libretto of The Magic Flute (see Jacques Chailley, The Magic Flute, Masonic Opera, London, 1972, pp. 15 if.).

10 0. E. Deutsch, Mozart, a Documentary Biography, London, 1965, p. 448.

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must be looked for in his music. A number of his early compositions indicate that he already had an interest in Masonic ideas: for example, the song 'O heiliges Band' (K.I48), and the unfinished cantata Dir, Seele des Weltalles (K.429). In I773 he composed music for a play on an Egyptian theme by a Freemason named Gebler, Kdnig Thamos (K.345). Mozart evidently attached importance to this music, which he revised and added to in 1779. Some of the choruses foreshadow those in The Magic Flute, and the attempt to depict moral qualities, such as Pheron's treachery, Thamos's noble character, by musical means, is in accordance with Masonic ideas.

Mozart's first composition for the Order after he joined it was a song, 'Gesellenreise' (K.468), written for the admission of his father to the second grade, on i6 April I785. Soon afterwards he composed the beautiful Maurerische Trauermusik (K.479). This work seems to depict the symbolic death and resurrection of Masonic ritual; it was performed in the following November at the funeral of two of the Brethren. In January 1786 he composed two songs for the lodge 'Newly-crowned Hope' (Zur neugekronten Hoffnung), which had been formed from the amalgamation of Mozart's lodge 'Beneficence' with two others, as a result of Joseph's decree. The two songs 'Zerfliesset heut', geliebte Bruder' (K.483) and 'Ihr uns're neuen Leiter' (K.484) were written for the opening and closing ceremonies. After this Mozart wrote no more overtly Masonic works until the last year of his life, I791, when he composed the two Masonic cantatas, Die ihr des unermesslichen Weltalls Schb&pfer ehrt (K.6i9) and Eine kleine Freimaurer-Kantate (K.623).

Music played an important part in Masonic ceremonies. Its purpose was 'to spread good thoughts among the members, and to encourage the spirit of unity. To foster the fraternisation of great and powerful people with the lesser fry. To unite in the idea of innocence and joy'. 1 1 Music should also inculcate feelings of 'humanity, wisdom, and patience, virtue and honesty, loyalty to friends, and finally an understanding of freedom'. Most of the songs were antiphonal, because 'an alternation in singing is the best way to spread joy and delight within a society'. Since the members of the lodges were men, the choruses were for male voices; and, since the number three was of particular significance in Masonry, the settings were usually in three parts, with figured-bass accompaniment.

Certain characteristics found in Masonic song-books may be noted: suspensions and slurred notes in pairs were used to denote the idea of a 'chain of brothers'; dotted rhythms were intended to promote courage and resolution; descending parallel sixths are a common feature, as are feminine endings. The songs are in a simple, popular style, derived from folksong. 12

'" E. A. Ballin, Der Dichter von Mozarts Freimaurer-Lied'O heiliges Band', Tutzing, I 960. 1' For a full account of Masonic symbolism, see Paul Nettl, Mozart and Masonry,

New York, 1970.

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Besides the Masonic song-books, it is useful to study some of the compositions written for use in the lodges by Mozart's contemporary J. G. Naumann. In his 'Die Kette' (I 782) suspensions are used to illustrate the 'chain of brothers'; we find also pairs of slurred notes

and characteristic rhythmic figures, such as v 1 IJ and JaJ J

In 'Beym Eintritt in die Loge' Naumann uses the figure m as a

stylised representation of the apprentice knocking at the door of the lodge. (Compare this with the overture to The Magic Flute). The song 'Die Harmonie' is marked by suspensions, feminine endings, and parallel thirds and sixths. The use of the latter to denote har- mony and shared feelings was current throughout the eighteenth century. It would be beyond the scope of this article to discuss the question whether there is a basis in nature itself for the idea that thirds and sixths are a reflection of a state of physical harmony and peace.""

Many of the characteristics of early Masonic music mentioned here are familiar through Mozart's own music. He did not invent the musical symbolism associated with Masonry, but he developed and transformed it, infusing it with deeper content.

A study of the two cantatas composed in the last year of his life may help us to understand how Mozart expressed Masonic ideas through his music. In the summer of 1791, while he was working on The Magic Flute, he composed a short cantata for solo voice with piano accompaniment, Die ihr des unermesslichen Weltalls Schopfer ehrt (K.6i9). The words were by F. H. Ziegenhagen, a merchant of Hamburg, whose ideas were closely related to those of the Illumi- nati. The cantata was a supplement to a book in which Ziegenhagen expounded his views; it was to be sung at meetings in a colony which he wanted to found in order to put into practice his ideas of equality and brotherhood.

Ziegenhagen advocated fundamental changes in society, through education and enlightenment. The first steps were to be taken by educating a small group of children of both sexes, on a basis of complete equality, combining mental and manual labour. His ultimate aims were universal peace and brotherhood, the unity of religions, and the abolition of private property. Ziegenhagen actually bought some land near Hamburg and started his experi- ments, but he met with financial and political difficulties and had to abandon his scheme.

Mozart can never have seen Ziegenhagen's book, since it was published only after his death, in 1792, but it is possible that he

18 For a discussion of this problem, see Deryck Cooke, The Language of Music, London, 1959.

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knew Ziegenhagen. Leopold Mozart refers to a certain 'Herr Ziegenhagen, who visited us with Herr Wahlen' and advises Wolf- gang to travel to Paris by way of Sedan, because 'Herr Z. has his cloth manufactory there, and may perhaps be in the town'.14' There is no correspondence extant regarding the cantata, but there is no doubt that the words expressed ideas which were close to Mozart's own. The tone of the music is one of deep solemnity, expressing love of humanity, combined with confidence in the hope of attaining peace and happiness on earth. Although the work is short, and limited to a single voice with piano accompaniment, it is of great importance.

The cantata is in C major, a key which is associated with Masonry in other works, such as The Magic Flute. The opening bars, in the Masonic dotted rhythm, are a call to attention, bidding men listen to the words of their Creator, to whatever religion they may belong.

Ex. I

Andante nuestoso

Freemasons believed in the unity and equality of religions, which was one reason why they incurred the hostility of the Catholic church.

An Andante in triple time follows, to the words, 'Love me through my works; love Order, Symmetry and Harmony'. These words relate to one of the Masonic triads which are of great significance in Masonic ideology. In the same section we find another triad, Beauty, Strength and Wisdom, which is familiar from The Magic Flute. In the music of this Andante we are reminded of Sarastro; it is typical of what has been described as Mozart's 'humanitarian style', which comprises 'broad, sweeping melodies, with wide intervals; solemn, song-like melodies reminiscent of old choral music; quiet, simple rhythms'. I' Other Masonic features are the interrupted cadence at the word 'harmony', and the gruppetto in the accompani- ment, which is found in other Masonic works, such as Die Maurer- freude and the overture to The Magic Flute, and which appears to be associated with Masonic joy.

An Allegro section in A minor follows, in which men are urged to 'throw off the madmen's chains that bind you' and to banish strife. The music is full of chromatic phrases, discords, sforzandos and diminished sevenths; it recalls the second aria of the Queen of

1I G. Steiner, Franz Ziegenhagen und seine Verhaltnislehre, Berlin, I 962, p. 85. s Nettl, op. cit., p. 59.

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the Night, the representative ofthe forces of darkness and superstition. This is followed by an Andante in 6/8 time, tender and persuasive, to the words: 'Be sure that evil has no place in my creation'. Two bars of recitative lead to another Andante in 4/4, with the words, 'Be wise, be strong, be brothers'. Here we have another Masonic triad. The setting conveys an atmosphere of mystery and solemnity, similar to the scene between Tamino and the priest in the finale of Act I of The Magic Flute. Mozart paid special attention to this passage, as we know from sketches for the work.

Ex. 2

(a) Sketch

Seid wei - se nmr, scid

(b) Final version Andante

g w * rw ~ _- i . -. _ Lr _ _o_ X _ l

Seid weit se nur, seid kraft-voll 'und =seid i _ der!

This section opens in D minor, modulating to F major. The minor sixth used for the words 'Be wise' is changed to a major sixth in the following passage: 'Then tears of joy will flow instead of sorrow', transforming a phrase of solemn admonition into one of hope and joy. This last phrase again recalls The Magic Flute, in which a similar phrase expresses Tamino's joy when he sees the portrait of Pamina, and, later, the joy of Pamina and Tamino when they are reunited (Ex-. 3).

The cantata ends with the words, 'Deserts shall bloom like Eden's fairest garden; Nature will greet you smiling everywhere; then,

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Ex. 3

(a) K. 619

OR 101i::7^ri w

Danm net - zen Freud- en-zlh-rennurdie Wang - en

(b) 'The Magic Flute', No. 3

-2 >h X -1 S

1 M7 '

M r-F '1--

Dies Bild- nsis ist be-zau- bemd sch6n

(c) Ibid., No. 21

Ta - mi - no.. mein!

then, then will you know the truest joy of life'. (Note the threefold repetition of the word 'dann' [then]). Once again the music recalls The Magic Flute; this time we are reminded of Tamino's joyful anticipation of reunion with Pamina (1.8). In the cantata the climax is reached with the rise of a major sixth to a', illustrating hopes of fulfilment of happiness.

Ex. 4

(a) K. 619

t-; $- --- 1F t - Ir tr- p~~ i i F it - -ffi-

. r-

a r: C: I I _ I -I

Dann, dann, dann, dann ist's er - reicht, des Le - benswah - res GCiek

(b)'The Magic Flute', No. 8 ,iAdagio ,.~ Presto

K~~~~~~~~~~~ Viel- leicht, vAel - leicht fihrt mich der Ton zu ihr!

To Ziegenhagen, and to Mozart, Paradise could be attained on earth, by the liberation of mankind, which they believed might be achieved through the ideas of the Enlightenment.

In this short work we find a number of melodic, rhythmic and harmonic figures associated with certain ideas. We may classify them as follows:

(i) Melodic: Rise of a major sixth =hope, love and joy. (ii) Rhythmic: Dotted notes- resolution and courage.

Gruppetto =Masonic joy. Emphatic staccato chords, followed by a rest=

courage and determination.

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(iii) Harmonic: fThirds and sixths aSeries of 6/3 chords =unity, love, harmony. 'Modal' chords (e.g. VI) =solemn and religious

feeling. 16 Chromaticism, diminished sevenths, discords=

darkness, superstition, evil and strife.

Mozart's last completed work was Eine kleine Freimaurer-Kantate ('Laut verkunde unsre Freude') (K.623), composed in November 1791. The publication of this cantata after his death was announced thus:

A work which it is fitting to call his swan song, fashioned with his usual artistry, and the first performance of which he himself directed . . . two days before his last illness. It is a Cantata for the inaugu- ration of a Masonic Lodge in Vienna, and the text is the work of one of the members of the same. 17

The cantata has been described as 'a song of fraternity joined to work'.I8 It expresses joy in life, unity in work, and hope for the future of mankind. It is set for three-part male-voice chorus, with tenor and bass soloists, and orchestral accompaniment of strings, flute, oboes, and horns. Like K.6i9, it is in C major, and it opens with a jubilant chorus in the Masonic dotted rhythm. In the third and fourth bars we hear the descending series of 6/3 chords; and in the short section for three solo voices, in counterpoint, we find the slurred notes which depict the ties of brotherhood.

A recitative follows, whose words are important for an under- standing of the work:

Sweet are the feelings of a Mason on such an auspicious occasion, when the chains of brotherhood which bind us are forged anew; sweet the feeling that humanity has come again to dwell with mankind; sweet the remembrance of that former place where every Brother's heart shows what he was, and what he is, and what he may become; where truest love and brotherhood are found, and where the queen ofall the virtues, the greatest, highest of virtues, Beneficence, is enthroned in quiet radiance.

To understand these words, it is necessary to know something further about the ideas of the Illuminati, especially those of Knigge, who had been mainly responsible for the ritual of the higher degrees of the Order, including the Illuminati Dirigentes. Knigge had quarrelled with Weishaupt over the ritual and aims of the movement, and had left the Order in 1784, thus escaping the persecution of Illuminati in Bavaria. He settled finally in Hanover, where he became editor of a cultural journal, Dramaturgische Bldtter (one number of which was found among Mozart's papers). Knigge was

"I Chailley, op. cit., p. 163. 17 Deutsch, op. cit., p. 440. 'SJ. and B. Massin, W. A. Mozart, Paris, I959, p. 1x69.

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also a composer and poet; with his daughter he translated Figaro into German, restoring parts of the original Beaumarchais play into the opera as dialogue. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution in its early stages, and even later he continued to support its ideals, while criticizing some of the methods used.

It is probable that it was Knigge who composed the speech addressed to candidates for the degree of Illuminati Dirigentes, of which the theme was as follows:

Man can learn to order society by studying nature and the history of the human race. In primitive society, men were free and equal, but as the human race increased in number their needs increased and there was not enough to satisfy them. Property was established; equality disappeared, and men began to enslave each other. This was the Fall from Paradise. Thus classes and nations arose; despotism reduced men to the level of beasts. This gave rise to the struggle for freedom, and to revolution. Only through moral training in secret schools of wisdom will men become enlightened, achieve universal freedom, and learn to dispense with tyrants and rulers.

The speech ends with the following words:

Enlightenment means knowing what I am, what others are, what others may become; it means helping others, sharing their joys. . . As diligent observers of Nature, we follow her majestic course in wonder, rejoicing that we are members of the human race, and counting ourselves fortunate to be human beings, and the children of God. 19

The similarity of these ideas, and even these words, to those of the cantata, suggests that Mozart was familiar with the teaching of the Illuminati.

The tenor aria is in praise of the goddess Beneficence, an allusion to Mozart's former lodge. Slurred notes, parallel thirds, and the rise of a sixth, express the ideas of tenderness, harmony and joy. The aria leads into a recitative, in which the tenor is joined by a bass. The words 'Let harmony unite the precious band in purest brotherhood woven together' achieve a wonderful effect of tenderness and mystery, recalling the mystical scenes in The Magic Flute.

Ex. 5 Andante a tempo Ih. ~. 0 i .

und Ein- tracht kntp - fe fest das theu re

und Fin- tracht knup - fe fest das theu - re Band, das

7'F(SI-')! I' if-- - -A-. _4

I' Engel, op. cit.

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land^, das re ne iBra e_ be we - te_ ? J -l 1 ~~~-i' 6V V' PC. I LJ ' - Band, das rei - - ne Bral -der-lie- be web- te.

rei -ne Bri- der-ge- be web- te.

cresc. 6 p6

It is worth examining these five bars in detail. The idea of 'harmony' (Eintracht) is suggested by the simplest means: tonic, subdominant, supertonic, dominant chords, with an augmented fifth adding mystery to the word 'pure' (reine), and the 'modal' chord on VI used for the word 'precious' (theure). The idea of unity is expressed by the two voices joining in thirds, after a passage in imitation. These five bars seem to express the essence of Masonic ideas, as symbolized in the triad Harmony, Strength, Beauty. Their musical embodiment is a synthesis of polyphonic and homophonic elements.

The duet which follows is simple, tender and serene. It is a beautiful example of Mozart's 'humanitarian style'. The words express the hope that the temple may endure, as a memorial to the work of the brethren, of which harmony is the symbol. It is significant that musical ensembles in the lodges were known as 'columns of harmony'.20 The duet ends with the words: 'May our instruments and voices proclaim our love and brotherhood.... Then will the voice of envy be silent, and we shall attain all our wishes, when we win the crown at last'. The idea of a crowning as symbolic of the final achievement of man's goal was an essential part of Masonic ritual, derived from the Eleusinian mysteries, together with many other features, such as the blindfolding, the sudden illumination, the trials, journeys, and questions.

In the final chorus of The Magic Flute the words proclaim that 'Strength, Beauty and Wisdom have attained the crown of victory'. The setting of the words 'Beauty and Wisdom' resembles that of the phrase 'When we win the crown at last' in this duet. The inter- weaving of parts may suggest the weaving of the crown itself, an idea already found in the recitative. There is also a resemblance to a phrase in the scene of the Men in Armour in The Magic Flute, where the words describe the journey through ordeals, by music (Ex. 6).

20 Chailley, op. cit., p. 21O.

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Ex. 6

(a) K. 623

wel-cher uns - re Hoff - nung kr6nt

(b) 'The Magic Flute', No. 21

9 _ _

wir wan - dein durch des To - nes Macht

(c) Ibidc (chorus)

LM bb 4- I I2@- @ 1 S Sr CEI el M - W-W 6"W~ L- L 1

die SchDn - heit und Weis - heit nit e wi - ger Kron'.

In the instrumental postlude, the last four bars of the prelude in this duet are repeated, concluding with the figure which is so frequently used to denote courage and resolution.

Ex. 7

S--d;~~~F1 1@-1

Having seen how Mozart expressed his ideas in music of an openly Masonic character, we must now attempt to find out whether any of the Masonic elements in these works are present in purely instrumental music-particularly in his piano concertos. In these, which have been described as 'voiceless dramas, full of tension, nobility and pathos',"2 he expressed his thoughts in a deeply per- sonal way. Of the three concertos K.4I 3-5 he wrote to his father:

These concertos are a happy medium between what is too easy and too difficult; they are very brilliant, pleasing to the ear, and natural, without being vapid. There are passages here and there from which the connoisseurs alone can derive satisfaction; but these passages are written in such a way that the less learned cannot fail to be pleased, though without knowing why.22

In the later concertos he made fewer concessions to popular taste. The D minor (K.466), composed in February I785, soon after he became a Freemason, may perhaps be said to mark the final

21 A. Hyatt King in The Concerto, ed. Ralph Hill, London, I952, p. 52. 22 The Letters of Mozart and his Family, tr. and ed. Emily Anderson, 2nd. ed., London,

i966, ii. 833.

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break with the galant style. The two remaining concertos of 1785 (K.467 and 482) contain unmistakable Masonic symbols, such as the suspensions in the opening of K.482. These two concertos are in the keys of C major and Eb, both associated with Freemasonry; in both, the woodwind, which were much used in the lodge ceremonies, play a prominent part. In K.482 we find clarinets used for the first time in a concerto; they were frequently used in Masonic music. In March I 786 Mozart composed the two great concertos in A major (K.488) and C minor (K.491). The latter is perhaps the most revolutionary in content of all the concertos. Like all Mozart's music in C minor, it is intensely dramatic, strong and passionate.

The C minor concerto is full of unresolved conflicts. But the C major (K.5o3), composed nine months later, in December 1786, expresses triumph almost as confidently as the 'Jupiter' Symphony (K.55 I), which it resembles in several ways besides its tonality. Soon after the composition of K.5o3 Mozart had gone to Prague for performances of Figaro, and had received a tumultuous welcome. 'As the Bohemians understand me so well, I must write an opera on purpose for them', he had said."9 Many of his friends in Prague were Freemasons, including Count Thun, with whom he stayed, and Count Joseph Canal, a distinguished botanist and an enthusi- astic musician. The latter was Senior Warden of the lodge 'Truth and Unity' (Zur Wahrheit und Einigkeit), founded by Born in 1783, which was the chief centre for Illuminati in Prague. Mozart visited Canal on several occasions, and he also attended meetings at the lodge 'Truth and Unity'. One of the members of this lodge, Gottlieb August Meissner, reported that the brethren had welcomed Mozart by forming a guard of honour, and singing Die Maurerfreude, and that, in thanking them, Mozart had said that he would soon pay tribute to Masonry in a better way.2' It seems that he already had it in mind to write a Masonic opera.

The C major concerto itself is marked by certain features which appear to be related to Masonic ideas.

(i) Tonality: In Masonic music the key of C major is often associated with light, while C minor represents darkness. In the first movement of K.5o3 this conflict plays an important part.

Bars I-I4: strong affirmation of C major I5-i6: oboes in thirds, C major 17-I8: repeated in C minor 5258: 'mock second subject' in C minor 59-66: repeated in C major

(ii) Counterpoint: Mozart frequently used contrapuntal devices to accompany points of climax and tension in his Masonic compo-

23 Edward Holmes, The Life of Mozart, 2nd ed., London, 1921, p. 226.

?4 Nettl, op. cit., p. 20.

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sitions"5 as in the scene of the men in armour. K.so3 is particularly rich in counterpoint, e.g. last movement,

bars i64-220.

(iii) Use of threefold repetitions: e.g. first movement, bars 9i-96. (iv) Rhythmic figures and harmonic progressions of Masonic significance.

FIRST MOVEMENT:

Bars i-3: C major triad in dotted rhythm. Compare the opening of K.6i9 (Ex. i).

48: The rhythmic figure y m IJ recalls the rhythm of 'Die

Stunde schlagt' ('The hour is come') in The Magic Flute, II. I9. This figure assumes great importance in the development section (bars 224 ff.). 74: Ascending tonic triad in dotted rhythm, on horns: J J J J I J. Compare 'Kurz sei ein Mann' ('Go, be a man'), The Magic Flute, Act I, finale. 91-95: Three chords repeated three times by strings. 99-I00: Descending series of 6/3 chords. 191-5: Series of 6/3 chords in broken octaves. I96-7: Diminished seventh chord on high woodwind, interrupting solo part. Compare overture to The Magic Flute, bars I4-15.

Further comparison with The Magic Flute suggests a similarity between Papageno's aria (II. 20) and the major form of the 'mock second subject' (bars 59-66). 170-73: The second subject in G major, with its repeated quavers, also recalls Papageno (duet with Papagena, rI. 2I). The key of G major is usually associated with 'profane' elements in the opera.,1 SECOND MOVEMENT:

The key (F major), tempo and general mood of this movement are related to the music of Sarastro. They are also similar to the Andante of the 'Jupiter' Symphony and to the Andante of the Quartet in C major (K.465). Both these works can be shown to contain Masonic symbolism. We may also compare this movement with the first Andante in K.6i9.

This movement is in Mozart's 'humanitarian' style. It contains a passage of mysterious and haunting beauty in bars 46 ff. Starting on a dominant seventh chord on F, the solo part descends in demi- semiquavers over four octaves; we seem to lose our sense of tonality with the introduction of four chromatic chords on the woodwind, leading to the sub-dominant (Br); but the solo part immediately modulates to the dominant (C). The next three bars consist of three chords in each bar, on the following harmonic basis: tonic (C), supertonic (D minor), tonic (second inversion), dominant, tonic.

25 Ibid, p. 53- 26 Chailley, op. cit., p. i61.

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The soloist plays these chords with his left hand, while the right has an upward leap of a tenth. Meanwhile the woodwind (flute and oboe) sustain the triads. These three bars are then repeated, with the woodwind playing the chords, while the solo plays a chromatic scale, followed by arpeggios. The passage is extended by the insertion of a diminished seventh chord. In the reprise (bars 89-I 02) the effect of mystery is heightened by the use of an augmented fifth in the second bar. In key, tempo and harmonic progressions we are reminded of 'O Isis und Osiris' (The Magic Flute, II. io).

Jacques Chailley has given an interesting interpretation of the 'Dissonance' Quartet (K.465), in which he suggests that the myster- ious opening is an evocation of the darkness of ignorance which precedes Masonic initiation, when the candidate is blindfolded and left in darkness; while the ensuing Allegro represents the burst of light when the blindfold is removed. 27 In the passage of the concerto referred to above, it is possible that the chromaticism and loss of tonality in bars 46-5o represent the darkness in which the candidate is left before initiation, while the serene, religious-sounding chords in bars 5I-58 are like a hymn chanted by the priests. We may surely assume that some part of the initiation ceremonies is indicated here.

THIRD MOVEMENT:

Bars 8-12: Compare first movement, bars 59-6I, and The Magic Flute, II. 20 (Papageno). 62-5: Suspensions. 247-9: Rising series of 6/3 chords. I45--229: This is the most significant passage in the whole concerto. After a short solo passage in A minor, the orchestra modulates suddenly to F major (in three chords). The solo then introduces a new melody, of great simplicity and tenderness, which is taken up by oboe and flute, and then developed in eight-part counterpoint, in a passage which Girdlestone describes as revealing 'the perfect union in Mozart between form and thought'.28 It may help us to understand the meaning of this wonderful passage if we relate it to The Magic Flute. When Tamino and Pamina meet for the first time face to face, they greet each other ecstatically, in a phrase echoed later in their trio with Sarastro. Is there not a certain kinship with the theme in this finale?

Ex. 8

(a) 'The Magic Flute', No. 8

PAMINA. TAMINO PAMINA

Er st's! Sit ist's! Ich glaub' es kaum!

27 Ibid., p. 84- 28 C. M. Girdlestone, Mozart's Piano Concertos, London, 1948, p. 44o.

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(b) Ibid., No. 19 PAMJNA

A _. . ,

I

Ta - mi - no! Ta -mi - no!

TAMINO PAMINA

Pa - i- na! Ta - mi -no!

(c) K. 503 (finale)

A :1 6!10 (1 -r

- I -@@\12-

The development of this section takes us through various keys, including the 'dark' minor keys; the theme undergoes chromatic transformation, and the persistent triplet arpeggios of the solo part enhance the sense of struggle. Eventually a long dominant pedal leads back to C major (the key of light), and a cascade of descending sixths, in triplets, suggests an outburst of joy.

Is it fanciful to associate this passage with the trials of Tamino and Pamina-which in turn symbolize those of the human race- and their ultimate victory, through the power of love? The joy expressed at the end of the movement (note especially bars 357- 360, which are related to the theme of bars I63 ff.) resembles that expressed at the end of Ziegenhagen's cantata (K.6i9), depicting man's joy at the thought of his eventual triumph over evil and suffering. May we not relate this concerto to the optimistic beliefs of the Illuminati?

The sense of triumph which we find in K.503 is expressed even more clearly in the 'Jupiter' Symphony, the last of the trilogy com- posed in the summer of I 788. At the time of its composition Mozart was going through a period of great difficulty: financial stress, illness of Constanze, dwindling audiences, the need to find cheaper lodgings and so on. (It is significant that he had composed no more concertos since the C major (K.5o3) in December I786.) Yet the mood of the three symphonies-despite the poignancy of the G minor-is one of hope and confidence. In a letter to his friend and fellow-Mason, Michael Puchberg, he wrote:

During the ten days since I came to live here I have done more work than in two months in my former quarters, and if black thoughts did not come to me so often, thoughts which I banish by a tremendous effort, things would be even better ...29

The struggle against black thoughts is vividly expressed in the G minor Symphony (K.sso). The E flat Symphony has been described by Einstein as having some hidden Masonic meaning,3o while

The Letters of Mozart, ii. 917. 30 Alfred Einstein, Mozart, London, i946, p, 245.

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Massin calls it 'an expression of fraternal hope and joy, mingled with anxiety and shadow'.31 But the 'Jupiter' Symphony is a statement of triumphant belief in the future of mankind. In Massin's words: 'It is at the same time Wolfgang's victory over loneliness and misery, and the future towards which humanity is progressing', 2 and certain points are relevant for an understanding of the Masonic ideas implicit in the work. FIRST MOVEMENT:

Bars I-2: Triple affirmation of C major. (Possibly symbol of ap- prentice knocking three times on the door?)

3-4: Dotted rhythm on first violins JS IL) L) l) Compare The Magic Flute, Act I finale (entry of the three boys)

) I. L) 14_ J and K.503, first movement, bars 9I-95.

9-14: Dotted quaver rhythm J J?J J IJ J2J J I

Compare entry of Sarastro (Magic Flute, Act I finale) .) 4 J 4 .II4J JJ J I

81: Sudden chord of C minor (key symbolizes darkness).

89-96: Dotted quaver rhythm (bars 3-4 in diminution). This section conveys intensification of struggle. IOI-I I I: Second subject, G major; compare second subject of first movement, K.5o3. This theme is derived in part from the aria 'Un bacio di mano' (K.54I) and in part from a theme by Paisiello. We are reminded of Papageno, and also of Figaro and Susanna in their first duet. It may be intended to suggest the 'profane' elements (note key of G major). This theme undergoes transformation during the development section, by means of modulation and interplay with other themes. When it reappears in the recapitulation, in C major (bars 289 ff.), it is subtly altered by the addition of woodwind and brass, which give it greater solemnity. It is a restatement at a higher level. SECOND MOVEMENT:

Key, tempo, and general mood suggest Sarastro. Compare Andante of K.503. Bars 1-2: Opening theme; note rise of major sixth and rhythmic

pattern 7 J.. J.?J) 1) Y | expressing hope and joy, combined p /1

with courage and determination. 19-27: Bridge passage. C minor; syncopations and discords. This section suggests forces of evil and darkness; general instability and chaos. Compare Queen of Night's aria, The Magic Flute, II. 14, and

31 Massin, op. cit., p. Io8I. 32 Ibid., p. 1082.

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section in K.6I9 referring to strife. 28-3i: Second subject. C major. Parallel thirds denoting unity and order after chaos (light after darkness). 67-73: In the recapitulation the dotted rhythm is intensified. Horns

D in Y nI2 bassoon JJ n IF THIRD MOVEMENT:

A perfect example of a Masonic triad: Order, Symmetry, Harmony: A B A form, with a b a within each section. FINALE:

Perhaps some light may be thrown on the use of counterpoint in Mozart's Masonic compositions by part of a speech by Joseph von Holzmeister,junior warden of the lodge to which Haydn was admitted in 1785. He congratulated Haydn on fighting the galant spirit in his treatment of the instruments.

If each instrument does not consider the rights and properties of other instruments in relation to its own rights, if it does not diminish its own importance considerably, so as not to detract from the expression of its companions, the aim, which is beauty, will not be achieved. "

There we have a clear statement of Masonic views on equality as applied to music.

The finale of the 'Jupiter' Symphony is a synthesis of polyphony and homophony; as such, it illustrates musically the doctrine of the Pythagoreans, which was also that of the Freemasons, of the fusion of opposites in the mean. The structure of the finale may be compared to a well-proportioned piece of architecture. Dent has suggested that there may be Masonic significance in the structure itself; while it may well be impossible for the uninitiated to understand its secrets, the architectural analogy may give us a clue to its meaning. The column played an important part in Masonic ritual. Musical ensembles in the lodges were, as we have seen, called 'columns of harmony'. Every temple was upheld by three pillars: Strength, Beauty, and Wisdom. These three qualities were extolled in the last chorus of The Magic Flute, and Sarastro's temple was the Temple of Wisdom, whose three pillars were Nature, Reason, and Wisdom. May not the finale of the 'Jupiter' Symphony represent the Temple of Wisdom?

The first theme in the finale is the same as that of the Credo in the Missa brevis in F major (K. I92). Perhaps it is intended here as a statement of belief, though it occurs also in the Sanctus of the so-called 'Credo' Mass in C major (K.257).

In the coda all five themes are played at once, giving an example of the fusion of contrasted elements. A few bars later the third theme is once again stated in unison, forte, as it had been at the beginning of the movement (Ex. 9).

I' Ibid., p. 1097.

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Ex. 9

This theme contains the Masonic dotted rhythm with the symbolic

three notes J 1,j. This rhythm, heard in the first movement,

assumes particular importance in the finale. The statement of Ex. 9 in unison in the coda may be taken as a symbol of unity. The last five bars of the movement are almost identical with the last five bars of The Magic Flute.

In the finale aspiration and struggle are combined with confidence and hope of victory. It represents a summing-up of past experience, present struggle, and vision of the future. We may recall the words of the Masonic cantata (K.623), which reflect the ideas of the Illuminati: 'Sweet the remembrance of that former place, where every Brother's heart shows what he was, and what he is, and what he may become'.

One last example may be taken to illustrate howMozartexpressed Masonic beliefs in his instrumental music. His last piano concerto, in B flat (K.595), was composed in January 1791. Apart from the so-called 'Coronation' Concerto (K.537) (composed in 1788), he had written no piano concertos since I 786. FIRST MOVEMENT:

Bars I-5: The opening theme resembles the song 'Gesellenreise' (K.468), probably composed for Leopold Mozart's initiation. 5-6: Melody interrupted by rhythmic figure on woodwind and

horns: JL , I L D

22: Rhythmic figure j This movement contains some remarkable modulations; the 'tonal journey' may suggest the idea of the initiate's journey. SECOND MOVEMENT:

The opening of this movement (in the Masonic key of E flat) sug- gests a Masonic processional.

Bars 1-2: Masonic rhythm J U |J. 2-4: Series of descending 6/3 chords. The prevailing serenity of this movement is disturbed by modulations to minor keys and chromatic phrases (bars 62-82). In the final statement of the theme (103), flute and violins play the melody

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in unison with the piano, in a passage of mysterious beauty, which suggests the apprentice being 'led by the hand of friendship'. This passage may remind us of The Magic Flute, Act I finale, when, in answer to Tamino's question 'When wilt thou break the bond of silence ?', the priest replies:

When friendship leads thee by the hand To join the temple's holy band.

FINALE:

The opening of the theme of the finale is the same as that of the song 'Sehnsucht nach dem Friihlinge' (K.596), composed at about the same time for a collection of children's songs, Liedersammlung far Kinder und Kinderfreunde am Clavier. Mozart evidently took con- siderable interest in children's education, including that of his own son Karl. He wrote several songs for a musical supplement to a journal published by two teachers at the Deaf and Dumb Institute in Vienna, to which both he and Born subscribed; he also wrote settings of words by J. H. Campe, founder of a school near Hamburg run on progressive lines.

One must remember that education at that time was mainly in the hands of the Catholic church. Followers of the Enlightenment regarded their teaching as reactionary and likely to encourage superstition; they tried to counter these ideas by educating young people to serve the community, to regard all men as brothers, and to learn from nature. The words of the songs which Mozart wrote for children contain such ideas as these. Primitive people were regarded by the Freemasons as 'children of nature', and it was believed that the childhood of the human race was a state of bliss to which mankind might hope to return. The more advanced thinkers, such as Ziegenhagen, saw the need for the human race to progress towards a form of society in which all men would be equal, but at a higher level than primitive men. But he too believed that men should learn from the example of nature and from the innocence of primitive people.

The choice of this theme for the last movement of Mozart's last concerto may well be significant. The words of 'Sehnsucht nach dem Friihlinge' express innocent joy at the return of spring. The melodic line of this theme has been compared to the soaring and dipping of a bird in flight.94 Is there not some connection with Papageno, the bird-man, who called himself a 'child of nature'? Even the change from spontaneous gaiety to pathos, through modulations to minor keys, recalls the music of Papageno, when he tries to hang himself (The Magic Flute, II. 2 I) . Papageno is the representative of the human race in its infancy, the 'natural man' whose naive wisdom was to be

34 A. Hyatt King, loc. cit., p. 107.

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admired and imitated though he could never attain to a state of enlightenment.

Mozart's Masonic beliefs were passionately held, and are ex- plicitly stated in his overtly Masonic works, such as The Magic Flute. Scholars such as Paul Nettl and Jacques Chailley have given detailed and invaluable accounts of specifically Masonic works. But the question how far, and in what way, these beliefs are ex- pressed in Mozart's work as a whole has not yet been fully explored.

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