Lisa Steiner Music Theory Paper on Laudate Dominum Wednesday, May 4, 2005

Amadeus Has Rocked Us Once Again Laudate Dominum from Vesperae Solennes de Confessore was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1789 for the Salzburg Cathedral, most likely intended for a Festum Pallii, or an important feast day, however, there was no record of a performance there. Vespers is a service held on Sundays or holy days that is in the evening, starting around sunset. It includes Psalms, the canticle Magnificat, and their antiphons. The work is written for four voices, two violins, bassoon, two trumpets, three trombones, tympani, bass, and organ. Laudate Dominum is the fifth section of this particular Vespers, and is based on Psalm 117, which reads and translates into Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endures forever. During this time of Mozarts life, he had been attempting to stabilize a secure job, and had left Salzburg with his mother in 1778. They traveled through Germany to Paris hoping to find an appointment, but did not succeed. During this time in Paris, Mozarts mother passed away, and he quickly found his way back to Salzburg once again in 1789. Here he finally landed a secure job, and was appointed as the court organist. It was during this time that Mozart composed the Coronation Mass, a Missa Solemnis in C

Major and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore. While the work is noted to be in the key of C major, Laudate Dominum is in the key of F major. It is also said to be more operatic and dramatic than the other songs of the work. It is in a six-eight meter, and has constant arpeggiated chords in sixteenth-note patterns, so it flows very nicely to fit the mood of the song. The tempo marking is andante ma un poco sostenuto, which means somewhat slow, but constant, which keeps the song pushing along, not allowing it to become droning and unenergized. In the original song, there is a choir along with the solo soprano. The words added are translated to Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever, or more commonly known as the doxology. When in this form, the song is strophic, meaning that there is repetition of the melody. But in order to convert the song into a solo performance, the choir part was taken out, making the song have a through melody. In this form, there is just one constantly changing line throughout the entire song. There is, however, one melodic theme that is used three times throughout the song. This is found in measures twentytwo, thirty-nine, and sixty-five. The same basic harmonic function is also the same throughout the song, but the melody is ever-changing and fitting differently with the chords. Melody itself is pretty slow and constant. It begins smoothly by holding out long tones, then moving up the F major scale. As it approaches the tonic chord, it moves back down until it rests on the third. This moving up and down the scale is very prominent throughout the entire song. It is constantly going between the tonic and dominant chords,

often times delaying the dominant to provide a sort of tension, until it resolved on the tonic once again. The use of seven chords is also very prominent throughout the song. For example, in the second phrase the soprano sings, starting at measure seventeen, there is a secondary dominant seven chord, followed by five chords, a six-seven chord, and another secondary dominant-seven. This dominant-seven chord also contributes to much of the tension and relaxation found in the song. There are three progressions that I particularly found very clever in this song. The first one is found in measure twenty-six. After much speculation and conjecture with music theorist specialist Rich Jones, we found that this was an f-sharp minor nine chord. Functionally, we werent quite sure what roman numeral to label it, so we decided to just call this chord a dominant prep chord. Because the following chord is another dominant seven. This particular prep chord creates a whole new level of tension that has not yet appeared in the music. The second progression begins at measure fifty. It begins at the tonic, progresses to a diminished seven-seven of five, then, while it sounds very good, it steps out of the normal pattern and goes into a minor one chord. Through speculation, we found that Mozart wanted to add a different color for this particular phrase. The words at this point in time are sicut erat in principio, which means as it was in the beginning. In all honesty, Im not quite sure why he decided to color these specific words. But whatever reason, when it returns to the dominant, it makes a very nice progression indeed. The third progression that I enjoy, probably most of all in the entire song, begins at measure sixty-one. Again, it begins on the tonic, and actually stays there until the end

of the next measure, when the base line moves up a half step, creating a seven-seven of six chord. This is such a great chord because in the next measure, it resolves to a minor six chord, one half step above. This chromatic movement in the base line is absolutely gorgeous. Another element that makes this song so wonderful is the embellishments and suspensions used. A lot of the sevenths in the seven chords will account for these suspensions. But there is also a lot of four to three suspension happening. This is usually occurring between a one, second inversion chord, and a five-seven chord. There are also quite a few trills in the solo, and some in the choral parts as well. These create more of the tension that keeps this song moving and intriguing. Finally Ill move on to the end of the song, where the solo comes back in, either after the short break of accompaniment, or after the choir has finished their main part. The soprano is holding a high F for two full measures, steadily growing until that repeated theme in measure sixty-five that I spoke of earlier. Then there is a run of sixteenth notes up the scale, a small hold, another run of sixteenth notes down the scale, to the supertonic, where the singer trills from G to A, finally resolving on the tonic. To me, I believe that this final phrase, Amen, or so be it, has more emotion to it than one might normally think one word could hold. It is evident through the tension the high F creates while it is just floating there through the rest of the progression. It is not written in, but I believe that this should grow and grow, so that when the notes finally change, it is like thing singer can no longer hold in their praises for God, which is what this entire song is about. Then once it returns almost calmly to the tonic, it is putting the song to an

end, so be it. I do not need to tell you that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a genius. Anyone who knows anything about music, or that would have any business reading this paper would know that. But if someone did not, or had never been exposed to Mozarts wonderful music, they could hear through this song how apparent it is that he is one. Through the very structured tonic-dominant relationships, the suspensions and embellishments, the tension created through seven and secondary dominant chords, and the emotional quality that this song brings out, Mozart has once again created a work of art.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Walters, Richard, ed. The Oratorio Anthology, Soprano. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard, 1994. Landon, H. C. Robbins, ed. The Mozart Companion. New York: Rockliff Publishing Corporation, 1956 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Vesperae Solennes de Confessore K. 339. New York: Edwin F. Kalmus. Turner, W. J. Mozart: The Man & His Works. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1938 The Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Educational Fan Page. Last updated 2003. Accessed on 25 April 2005. <http://www.wamozartfan.com/bio.html>