The most beautiful piece of music ever composed?
While busy working on his opera Die Zauberflöte, Mozart wrote a setting of Ave Verum Corpus (K 618) for his friend Anton Stoll, who was musical director of the parish of Baden, near Vienna. Mozart composed the motet in June 1791 to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi and scored it for choir, stringed instruments and organ. He was dead six months later.
Ave Verum Corpus ("Hail, true body") is a Eucharistic hymn dating from the 14th century and attributed to Pope Innocent VI. At its core is the Catholic idea of the redemptive meaning of suffering in the life of all believers.
Ave verum corpus,
natum de Maria Virgine,
Vere passum, immolatum
In cruce pro homine,
Cujus latus perforatum
Unda fluxit et sanguine,
Esto nobis praegustatum
In mortis examine.
Hail, true body,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Truly suffered, sacrificed
On the Cross for mankind,
Whose pierced side
Flowed with water and blood,
Be for us a foretaste
In the trial of death.
Comments
Ahhh... Thanks for the listen, it is gorgeous. But is it more beautiful than the Requiem? Than the overture to the Magic Flute, or - profane, I know - Cosi? Always the problem. It's all the most beautiful.
Posted by: Ms Baroque | March 25, 2007 6:37 PM
Mozart's setting of "Ave Verum Corpus" is one of my favorite pieces of all time. Great MUSIC and great TEXT. "Ave Verum Corpus" is the best text for a Eucharistic hymn I have ever encountered. Contrast that to Franck's setting of "Panis Angelicus": nice music, but the text doesn't really do anything for me. And I can also say that as a member of the choir, Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus" is very satisfying to sing.
One more plug for Mozart: "Laudate Dominum". Beautiful, beautiful. I don't need Schubert's "Ave Maria": I could die happy if I never heard it again.
At my parish .... we don't do Schubert's "Ave Maria". Nope. We have orchestra, professional soloists and a choir. We aren't wasting them on Schubert's "Ave Maria" when we can do Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus" or "Laudate Dominum" instead.
We also sing Mozart's "Requiem" for the All Soul's Day mass every year.
Posted by: Gina | March 27, 2007 7:42 AM
My vote for most beautiful song. . .Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria" for mens choir.
Posted by: bob corrigan | March 27, 2007 10:30 PM
O, Interesting idea. Yes,
you are a philosopher.
Posted by: Paul | May 18, 2007 7:00 AM
It may be that when the angels go about their task of praising God,they play only Bach.
I am sure,however,that when they are together,en famille,they play Mozart and that then our dear Lord listens with special pleasure.
Karl Barth 1886-1968
Posted by: Rev.James Lindsay | February 14, 2008 6:03 PM