Other notes - Mozart

The Litaniae Lauretanae (Litany of Loreto), K 195, constitutes one of four litanies composed by Mozart while intermittently resident in Salzburg between 1771 and 1776. The Litany of Loreto probably received its first performance in May, 1774.

The litany as a form of prayer finds its roots in Psalm 136, "'O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever." The Litany of Loreto designation has served to identify the accepted litany addressed to the Virgin Mary. The name "Loreto" derives from the fact that numerous of its invocations were inscribed on the walls of the great Marian pilgrimage basilica perched atop Monte Gargano on the central Adriatic coast of Italy.

The esoteric text and changing landscape of music in the American Catholic church since Vatican II may account for the general neglect of a work. However, Mozart offers some of his finest inspiration and his mature operatic style is beginning to show its strength in large-scale structures and beautiful melodies.

The "Kyrie" which opens the work and the exquisite "Agnus Dei" which closes it show that Mozart was aware that the text is a private, evening devotion. On the other hand, the drama of "Salus infirmorum," the gaiety of "Regina angelorum" and the embellishments and cadenzas of the singers leave no doubt of the work's theatrical and Italian origins. The music of the last movement appears, in essence, in the "Hunt" quartet and there are many other passages which anticipate later, more famous, Mozart themes. But the work stands in its own right. The orchestration, for strings, two horns and two oboes is a joy to the ear. Einstein called the work "a marvel of youthful art and feeling."