By Brother Byron Gardner
As Presented to The Glenlyon Lodge No. 346 S.C. on Wednesday 9th July, 1997
Over the years we have had fine evenings
of music where we have listened as our illustrious brethren played selections
on the organ and other wise.
This evening we hope to present a
slight variation and at the end of it to invite your comments how such
an evening as this can be improved or changed for the listening pleasure
of the brethren.
Throughout the centuries there have
been many composers who were masons, offspring of masons, or otherwise
related to masons. My reason for mentioning this is that throughout this
presentation, we will try to inform you of these relationships and thereby
analyze how they influenced the compositions.
Of course this very short presentation
does not claim to record them all, but rather present a varied view of
some of them. Because of time and space some names may not be included
and is not directly related to the composers' ability and prominence.
The list includes Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart, Jean Sibelius, Franz Liszt, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn,
John Phillip Souza, and Gilbert & Sullivan.
Those who were possible masons but
with no definite records as such, were Beethoven and Vivaldi. The former
composed two known pieces for Masonic purposes, "Maurerfragen" (Masonic
Questions) and "Der Freye Mann" (The Free Man). This article
is designed to whet your appetites and therefore some very interesting
and contrasting pieces will not be played but with the hope that you
will be enticed to explore the hidden benefits of good classical music
more.
As Mozart's Masonic connections were
strongest during the latter part of his short life and in fact was the
composer to whom most others were eternally grateful, more will be said
about his, and we will hear more of his pieces.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been
called that genius among all geniuses and the greatest inventor in the
history of music. Many aspects of music which we take for granted today
would simply not exist without him; the classical piano concerto, the
clarinet as a member of the orchestra, the string quintet and the piano
quartet are only a few inventions in the field of instrumental music.
His desire to create unity and his intuition for drama influenced by
freemasonry is found in his late works.
Mozart was born in 1756 and by the
time he was four he could play simple pieces and by the age of five he
was composing. From seventeen to twenty years of age, he continued to
compose church and chamber music. At seventeen he was commissioned to
write two choruses for the play "Thamos, Koonig in Aegypten" which
deals with the Masonic conflict between light and darkness. As a result
of this he had composed his first Masonic piece the cantata, "Dir,
Seele des Wettalls". In 1784 he was initiated into masonry and in
the spring of the following year he took on a young boy as a pupil who
was called home after two weeks as his mother was ill - that pupil was
Ludwig von Beethoven.
Between the 7th and the 10th of November,
1785, Mozart wrote one of his greatest numbers. Though not a church work,
it is a religious composition. According to his biographer, Jahn, "Mozart
has written nothing to surpass this short Adagio. It is the musical expression
of that manly calm which gives sorrow its due in the presence of death,
without exaggeration or unreality".
It therefore expresses what Mozart
wrote to his father shortly before the latter's death in 1787:
"As death (strictly speaking)
is the ultimate destiny of our lives, I have, in the last few years,
made myself so well acquainted with this, the best friend of mankind,
this his picture not only holds nothing terrifying for me, but much
that is soothing and consoling, and I thank God that He has granted
me the good fortune to make for myself an opportunity (you understand
me) of getting to know Him as the key to our true happiness."
What Mozart hints at in this passage
is taught by Freemasonry in the symbolism of its most beautiful degree.
Also Mozart's father was a mason, as we will later learn, and thus his
inference in a subtle manner, a style which is present in his piece "Masonic
Funeral Music." Therefore let us listen to this piece.
In 1793 after he listened to his
cantata "Die Maurefreude" which was performed, he promised
his brethren that he would shortly be offering a better tribute to the
Masonic spirit. The plot expounds a serious moral, but with scenes of
light relief and is riddled with Masonic symbolism. That piece is "Die
Zauberflote." Unfortunately, Mozart always had money problems and
had trouble living within his means, although he received very good pay.
He continued to write to his fellow masons, among them Haydn, inviting
them for various rehearsals, and taking the opportunity to borrow money.
Haydn was twenty-four years older
than Mozart was and it is assumed that his sonatas must be earlier in
style. He became a Mason at the age of fifty-three on the 11th February,
1785. The lodge of which he was a member held the view that "The
Freemason serves Mankind in all parts of the world, under all kinds of
Governments, in public or in secret." It is believed that it was
his friendship with the great one, (Mozart), which brought about his
interest in Masonry. Also, it was in this lodge that Mozart's father
Leopold, was a member. It was also a Freemason, Leopold Haschka, whose
words were set to music by Haydn in "Gotterhalte" as the German
National Anthem.
In 1791 he was in England performing
at various concerts which included one at the Academy of Ancient Music
at Freemason's Hall. At the end of the year the sad news of Mozart's
death reached him and he wrote to a fellow mason and banker Johann Michael
Puchberg, "For some time I was beside myself about his death, and
I could not believe that Providence would so soon claim the life of such
an indispensable man." Mozart had died at the early age weeks short
of his thirty-sixth birthday on 15th October 1791.
Haydn on his return to Vienna, met
a young musician named Ludwig von Beethoven, whom he invited to come
to Austria and study with him, therefore Beethoven had two other persons
closely connected with him who were also Freemasons: his doctor/biographer
and his teacher.
In 1795 Haydn returned to England
and left shortly after with a small libretto of an oratorio called "The
Creation" which was destined to become one of his greatest works.
The scholars believed that he carried with him a deep impression of his
visit to Westminster Abbey where the choir sang Handel's "Messiah" and
during the "Hallelujah Chorus" the congregation rose to their
feet. This had a marked effect on him and created the desire to write
such a work. This piece is by Handel and closely resembles that well-known
piece.
Masonry, facing persecution both
in Austria and France, Haydn set about to complete the script and had
a great interest in the Masonic works completed by Mozart and it was
and is still believed that "The Creation" is of the same nature
as "Die Zauberflote." This piece is called the "The Miracle" and
relates to the beginning and once again Masonic symbolism is caught up
in it. Another composition that I would recommend for your listening
pleasure composed by this legend is "Surprise."
This artist was deeply devoted to
music and religion and for him they could not be separated. He prayed
in his music, as it was his expression of his belief in God.
He was born on 22nd October 1811
and was surrounded by musicians who came to play recitals with his father.
Later when he was sent to study in Vienna he met with Beethoven and was
placed in such positions that he was able to help contemporary composers
such as Richard Wagner perform their works for the first time. He had
many female friends and had the following of a particular countess, but
left her to be free and "to live only for his music, God, and his
mother." He spent a fortune during his life aiding institutions,
funds, and pupils (one of whom was Wagner). He never charged for lessons.
Liszt's character made him suited for Masonry. He was initiated on 18th
September, 1841.To this end he composed a very popular piece entitled "Love
Dream."
Although Richard Wagner applied to
join a lodge and was not accepted, I will introduce you to a piece which
it is said ruined his chances, it is called "Ride of the Valkyries" by
Richard Wagner, which is a very powerful piece and is believed to be
very opposite to "The Magic Flute."
Brethren, this has brought us to
the end of these recordings and I do trust that those of you who have
not yet discovered the magic of music and in particular classical themes
will take the opportunity to try it.
Finally brethren let me leave you
with two pieces for your inner thoughts, "Spring for The Four Seasons" by
Vivaldi and "Overture to the marriage of Figaro" and may I
challenge you to try and interpret these. Or better still do a research.