Mass in G major, K. 140 "Pastoral"

Attribution to Mozart - time of origin#

Ludwig von Köchel, in the first edition of his catalog of Mozart’s music, thought the Mass roughly contemporary with Lucio Silla and “Exsultate, jubilate” (1772-1773). Alfred Einstein thought its original composition to be closer to that of the sixth Serenade (1776) with his revision of Köchel’s catalog in 1937. Otto Jahn, Franz Giegling and others thought it not to be by Mozart at all. The work was accepted as genuine by Walter Senn: he published the Mass as No. 5 in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe in 1968. Senn assumes the Mass was composed in 1773, after Mozart had returned from Italy in March.

Movements and orchestration#

The mass is scored for soloists, choir, strings and organ, the latter playing from figured bass. The setting is divided into six movements: # Kyrie Andantino, G major, # Gloria Allegro, G major, #: “Laudamus te” Andantino, # Credo Allegro, G major, #: “Et incarnatus est” Andantino, E major, #: “Et resurrexit” Allegro, G major, # Sanctus Andante, G major, #: “Pleni sunt caeli” Allegro vivace, # Benedictus Andante, C major, #: “Osanna” Allegro vivace, G major # Agnus Dei Andante, G major, #: “Dona nobis pacem” Allegro, G major,

Sources#

• Jonathan D. Green (2002). A Conductor’s Guide to Choral-Orchestral Works, Classical Period: Volume 1: Haydn and Mozart New York: Scarecrow Press
• Daniel Heartz (1995). Haydn, Mozart, and the Viennese School: 1740 — 1780 New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
• Ludwig Ritter von Köchel. Chronologisch-Thematisches Verzeichniss sämmtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade Mozarts. Breitkopf & Härtel: Leipzig, 1862.
• Walter Senn (1968). Neue Mozart-Ausgabe. Series I (Sacred vocal music), Workgroup 1 (Masses and Requiem), Part 1: Masses, Volume 1. Bärenreiter.