Mozart Mass in C Minor

Abstract

A concert performance of the ‘Great Mass in C Minor’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 91) by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Australian Voices and soloists including Dr Paul McMahon (tenor) Research impact: In comparison with music of the Baroque period, composers’ written expressive indications to vocal soloists became more overt within the classical period (c. 1775–1825). Through a practical examination of music’s expressive qualities, this research offers perspectives upon performance practice of the late-eighteenth-century. The practitioner-researcher assesses the interpretation of composer’s expressive markings through the context of performance in a major vocal work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Exploring music written for vocal soloists within choral repertoire of the Classical period, this research contributes new perceptions upon the interpretation of composers’ explicit and implicit expressive indicators within the score. This study examines the lightness of phrasing demanded by the Classical period’s slower pace of harmonic progressions, and the multiple variations available to performers interpreting composers’ indications of tempo, dynamics, articulation and ornamentation. This performance took place in the Concert Hall of the Queensland Performing Arts Complex, a major national concert venue. Formats of dissemination include a live concert recording and broadcast by 4MBS Fine Music Network.