Mozart and Allegri

Synopsis

In the 18th century, just like today, tourists gravitate toward the Vatican in Rome to view the famous Sistine Chapel and its ceiling by Michelangelo. But during Holy Week in the 18th century, there was an added attraction: performances by the Sistine Chapel Choir of a hauntingly beautiful piece of music, the a cappella setting of the Latin Miserere by the Italian composer Gregorio Allegri.

The Vatican jealously guarded Allegri’s work as its exclusive property. Rumor had it—under threat of excommunication—that the choir was forbidden to let the score be taken out of the Chapel, copied, or even seen by any outsider.

On today’s date in 1770, Wolfgang Mozart, age 14, was visiting Rome with his father. The Mozarts attended an evening service at the Vatican and heard Allegri’s Miserere. That same night—after just one hearing—young Wolfgang transcribed the piece from memory, and the Mozarts returned three days later to check Wolfgang’s transcription against a repeat performance of Allegri’s music. The elder Mozart thought that letting people know about this feat might be “good PR” for young Wolfgang.

In any case, the Mozarts were NOT excommunicated, and Roman society WAS suitably impressed when they learned of the teenager’s remarkable musical talent.

Music Played in Today's Program

Gregorio Allegri (1582 - 1652) Miserere The Tallis Scholars Gimell 454 990

On This Day

Births

• 1682 - French composer Jean-Joseph Mouret, in Avignon; He achieved belated fame in American when one of his trumpet fanfares was used as the theme for public televisions's "Masterpiece Theater";

• 1891 - Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (Gregorian date: April 23);

• 1916 - Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, in Buenos Aires;

Premieres

• 1689 - possible premiere of Purcell: opera "Dido and Aeneas,"in Chelsea (London) at Josias Priest's School for Young Ladies; This exact date and circumstance of this premiere is uncertain: April 30 th is also cited as a possibility (April 11, 1689 marked the coronation of the Protestant monarchs William and Mary, and April 30 th was Queen Mary's birthday); In any case, the premiere most likely occurred sometime before the libretto by Nahum Tate was published in December of 1689;

• 1727 - J.S. Bach: possible premiere of "St. Matthew Passion" (first version), at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig;

• 1814 - Beethoven: "Archduke" Piano Trio in Bb, Op. 97, at the Hotel "Zum Romischen Kaiser" in Vienna, with violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, cellist Joseph Linke, and the composer at the piano; This was the last time the Beethoven performed in public as a pianist;

• 1884 - d'Indy: symphonic poem "La Mort de Wallenstein" (Wallenstein's Death), in Paris;

• 1891 - Dvorák: "Dumky" Piano Trio, Op. 90, in Prague, at a concert celebrating Dvorák's honorary doctorate from Prague's Charles University, with Ferdinand Lachner (violin), Hanus Wihan (cello), and the composer at the piano;

• 1902 - Loeffler: "Two Poems"for orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, Wilhelm Gericke conducting;

• 1920 - Respighi: "Ballata delle gnomidi" (Dance of the Gnomes) for orchestra, in Rome, Bernardino Molinari conducting;

• 1934 - Bloch: "Sacred Service," in New York City, by the Schola Cantorum, conducted by the composer;

• 1965 - David Amram: Passover opera "The Final Ingredient" is produced on television in New York City;

• 1967 - Hovhaness: "The Holy City" for orchestra, in Portland, Maine;

• 1999 - Augusta Read Thomas: "Passion Prayers" for solo cello and six instruments, in Philadelphia by the Network for New Music, with cellist Scott Kluksdahl;

Others

• 1770 - Leopold and Wolgang Mozart attend a Holy Week service at St. Peter's in Rome and hear Allegri's "Miserere"performed by the Chapel Choir; The Vatican had jealously guarded Allegri's score as their exclusive property, and under threat of excommunication, the Vatican choir was forbidden to let the score be taken out of the Chapel, copied, or even seen by any outsider; That same evening, after one hearing, Wolfgang (age 14) transcribed the piece from memory; The Mozarts then returned to St. Peter's three days later to check Wolfgang's version against a repeat performance of Allegri's music;

• 1874 - American premiere of Brahms' "Haydn Variations," by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, conducted by Theodore Thomas;

• 1888 - The Concertgebouw opens in Amsterdam with a concert performed by a 700-piece ensemble; Later that year the famed Concertgebouw Orchestra was formed;

• 1902 - Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his first 10 phonograph records for the Gramophone Typewriter Company in a room at the Grand Hotel in Milan; His last of his 498 phonograph recordings would be made in the Victor Studios in Camden, New Jersey on September 16, 1920;

• 1919 - The New Symphony Orchestra, organized by composer Edgard Varèse for the performance of new music, gives its first concert in New York City;

• 1930 - American premiere of staged version of Stravinsky's ballet "The Rite of Spring," in Philadelphia, choreographed by Massine and conducted by Stokowski;

• 1941 - Austrian-born composer Arnold Schönberg becomes an American citizen and officially changes the spelling of his name to Schoenberg.