Ave Verum by Mozart

This week, I decide to take a look at Ave Verum by Mozart. I performed this song multiple times last year and I think the way that Mozart was able to incorporate harmonies and stringed instruments are remarkable. At no point during this song is one more straining to be heard. Before I start analyzing the piece, I would like to point out that the recording I have with this post is by the Vienna Boys Choir, which means that the parts normally sung by a soprano and alto are sung now by young boys.

Looking at the sheet music that came with the recording, we can tell that the song is in D Major because of the key signature (2 sharp keys - F# and C#) and that it's meter is in cut time. Cut time, for those who may not now what this means, is another name for 2/2 (2 half notes per measure). Also, the part with the melody is the soprano line (top line) with the other parts (alto, tenor, and bass) all providing a harmony below. At the beginning of the song, the tonic note (D) is sung by the bass part.

I found that at one point in the song, a phrase ends in a Imperfect Authentic Cadence before resolving in the following phrase. Skip to 1:50. I marked the end of phrase 1 at the lyrics "examine." I had to listen to this part a couple of times before realizing that it sounds like a IAC. I can hear the Do, Mi, Sol in the the voices but the melody does not sound resolved. Although it sounds like it returns home (tonic), there seems to be uncertainty about it. The way I like to think about cadences is that a HC would sound more like a question, with the next phrase being the answer. Well, it seems like for this end chord, there is some sort of question while sounding like it returns home. The following phrase ends on, what I think is, a more complete cadence; it returns home.

Going off the end of the song, I would have to say that it isa contrasting sectional period because both phrases are completely different. The beginning phrase starts with the higher voices (soprano, alto) starting off the section with the lower voices (tenor, bass) later joining. It is very much a bounce back between the two parts. In the following phrase, all parts are together before ending on a more complete cadence. Phrase 2 answers the question that phrase 1 asks.

The sentences of this song is very repetitive. The beginning of the song is set up in the sentence structure of basic idea, repeating the idea, and a continuation. First, it starts with the idea (Ave), before repeating the word again, then continuing to a new idea (verum corpus).

I believe this song is very much exhibits a lot of traits from the Enlightenment. I think the main trait would be the detail to structure. I believe that Mozart was very organized in the writing of this piece because of the way the voices were organized. I also think this piece was very simple in the sense that a lot of people would be able to perform it. For example, when I listen to this piece, I can picture a large professional group performing it, or my choir for high school. I believe the simplicity of this piece is what makes it so amazing. It is very effortless to sing.