Masonic Music
Masonic Music by Mozart
It is well know that W.A. Mozart was a brother of the craft. He was initiated in 1784 into a Vienniese Lodge by the name of Zur Wohltätigkeit (Lodge of Benevolence).
The Lodge, in honour of Mozart, has since changed its name to Mozart Lodge. To save computer memory, all six pieces of Masonic music written by Mozart were saved in the MIDI format.
Make your choice and click on the name. Do wait till one piece of music has finished before clicking on another name. In some computer, it won't work if you don't wait for the music to end before clicking on to the next selection. Enjoy!
Gesellenreise Freimaurerlied
This was written in celebration of a brethren on attaining the second degree. Geselle in German means a journeyman or fellow craft, more experienced than an apprentice, but not yet a master craftsman.
Maurerische Trauermusik
The title of this piece in English means Masonic Funeral Music. It was written for the memorial services commemorating the deaths of Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Count Franz Eszterházy von Galantha in November 1785.
Adagio and Rondo in C Minor/Major
In May 1791, inspired by the skill of a blind girl, Marianne Kirchgässner, on the glass harmonica, Mozart wrote this piece for that instrument. The pitch of the glass harmonica was controlled by the water level. Unfortunately, we now no longer have the glass harmonica.
Ave verum corpus
Mozart wrote this for the use of the choir school of his friend Anton Stoll at Baden.
Cantata:Die ihr des unermesslichen Weltalls Schöpfer ehrt
This was written in the last year of Mozart's life, 1791. There was no record regarding the circumstance in which this piece was written. Despite the pressure of work, he was writing the Magic Flute as well as the Requiem Mass in that year, he took time off to compose this Masonic piece. When it came to fulfilling his Masonic duties, Mozart was never too exhausted to oblige.
The Magic Flute
Among non-Masons, probably the most well known piece of work by Mozart that is connected to the craft is the "Magic Flute". Many often wondered whether the trial by fire and water that Tamino, the central character in the opera, had to go through was Masonic in origin or not...
Following is a selection of some of the music from the "Magic Flute".
Overture
Papagano Aria 1
Queen of the Night
Monostatos
Papagano and Papagana
John Philip Sousa
Bro. John Philip Sousa, probably better known in America than in this part of the world, has composed many pieces of music for Masonic ceremonies. What surprised me was to discover that a number of the marches that, as a kid, I have always associated them with the US Marines or armed forces were masonic in origin, written by Bro. Sousa. Here is a selection of them.
Semper Fideles
Crusader
Thunderer
Stars and Stripes Forever
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
Sibelius
Sibelius is a well known brother. I read that the piece, Finlandia, was often played in Lodges in Finland. Now and then, we also hear a part of Finlandia in The Lodge of St. George.
Robert Burns
Many of you know that Robert Burns was a brother, but how many of you know that the Auld Lang Sye, probably the one song that's universally sung or purformed all over the globe, was originally written for Masonic functions.