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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1756 - 1791 Person Name: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, d. 1791 Composer of "[Father, Father grant Thy blessing]" in The Hymnal of The Evangelical United Brethren Church Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austria 1756-1791. Born at Salzburg, Austria, the son of Leopold Mozart, a minor composer and violinist, and youngest of seven children, he showed amazing ability on violin and keyboard from earliest childhood, even starting to compose music at age four when his father would play a piece and Mozart would play it exactly as did his father. At five, he composed some of his own music, which he played to his father, who wrote it down. When Mozart was eight, he wrote his first symphony, probably transcribed by his father. In his early years his father was his only teacher, teaching his children languages and academic subjects, as well as fundamentals of their strict Catholic faith. Some of his early compositions came as a surprise to his father, who eventually gave up composing himself when he realized how talented his son was. His family made several European journeys and he and his sister, Nanneri, performed as child prodigies, at the court of Prince-elector Maximillian II of Bavaria in Munich, and at the Imperial Courts in Vienna and Prague. A long concert tour followed, for 3.5 years, taking the family to courts in Munich, Mannheim, Paris, London, Dover, The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Mechelen, and again to Paris, and back home via Zurich, Donaueschingen, and Munich. During these trips Mozart met many musicians, acquainting himself with the works of other composers. He met Johann Christian Bach in London in 1764. Family trips were challenging, and travel conditions were primitive. They had to wait for invitations and reimbursements from nobility, and they endured long, near-fatal illnesses far from home. First Leopold (1764) got sick, then both children (1765). They traveled again to Vienna in 1767 and stayed there over a year. After a year back in Salzburg, Leopold and Wolfgang went to Italy (1769-1771), Leopold wished to display his son’s abilities as a performer and maturing composer. In Bologna, Italy, Wolfgang was accepted as a member of the famous Academia Filamonica. In Rome he heard Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere twice in performance. Back in the Sistine Chapel, Mozart wrote the whole performance out from memory, thus producing the first unauthorized copy of this closely guarded property of the Vatican. In the next few years Mozart wrote several operas performed with success in Italy, but his father’s hopes of securing a professional appointment for his son were not realized. At age 17 he was engaged as a musician at the Salzburg court, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position. After returning to Salzburg, Mozart was employed as a court musician by the ruler of Salzburg, Prince Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo. This gave Mozart ample opportunity to develop relationships with other musicians and his admirers, resulting in his development of new symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, masses, serenades, and some minor operas. In 1775 he wrote his only violin concertos, five in all. Again, he was discontent with work in Salzburg and traveled to find more opportunity to write operas. He and his father again visited Munich and Vienna, but neither visit was successful with the exception of his opera ‘La finta giardiniera’ in Munich. In 1777 he resigned his Salzburg position and went to Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris, and Munich again. In Mannheim he met and fell in love with Aloysia Weber, one of four daughters of a musical family. He could find no real employment there and left for Paris in 1778. He might have had a position as organist at Versailles, but he was not interested in that. He fell into debt and started pawning valuables. During these events his mother died. Meanwhile his father was still trying to find him a position in Salzburg. After checking out several other European cities and Munich, he again encountered Aloysia, but she was no longer interested in him, so he returned to Salzburg, having written another symphony, concerto, and piano sonata, and took the new appointment his father had found. However, he was still in discontent. Visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He wrote another opera, ‘Idomeneo’, in 1781, that was successful in Munich. Two months later he was summoned to Vienna, where his employer, Archbishop Colloredo, wanted him around due to his notoriety. Mozart wished to meet the emperor and perform for him, and finally got that opportunity. It resulted in a part-time position and substantial commissions. Colloredo became a nemesis to Mozart’s career, finally releasing Mozart from his employ with a literal kick in the pants, much against his father’s wishes. However, he was now independent. Mozart then decided to settle in Vienna as a free lance performer and composer. He lived with the Fridolin Weber family, who had moved from Mannheim to Vienna. Fridolin, the father, had died, and they were taking in lodgers to make ends meet. His career there went well, and he performed as a pianist before the Emperor, establishing himself as the finest keyboard player in Vienna. He wrote another opera in 1782, again achieving success. Mozart had now become a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period and was known throughout Europe. Aloysia was now married to actor, Joseph Lange, and Mozart’s interest shifted to her sister, Constanze. In 1782 he married Constanze Weber Mozart Nissen. The marriage started out with a brief separation, and there was a problem getting Mozart’s father’s permission, which finally came. They had six children, but only two survived infancy: Carl and Franz. He lived in Vienna and achieved some notoriety, composing many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas. In 1782-83 he became intimately acquainted with Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friederic Handel, as his friend, Gottfried van Swieten, owned many manuscripts of the Baroque masters, which Mozart studied intently. He altered his style of composition as a result. That year Mozart and his wife visited his father and sister, and he composed a liturgical piece, a Mass, with a singing part for his wife. He also met Joseph Hadyn in Vienna in 1784 and they became friends. They even played together in a string quartet from time to time. Mozart wrote six quartets dedicated to Hadyn. In 1785 Hadyn told Leopold Mozart, “Your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste, and what is more, the greatest skill in composition”. Over the next several years Mozart booked several piano concertos in various places as a sole performer to delighted audiences, making substantial remuneration for his work. He and his wife then adopted a more luxurious lifestyle. They moved to an expensive apartment and he bought a fine fortepiano and billiard table. They sent their son, Karl, to an expensive boarding school and also kept servants. In 1784 Mozart became a Freemason and even composed Masonic music. Over the next several years he did little operatic writing and focused on his career as a piano soloist and writer of concertos. He again began operatic collaboration in 1785, creating ‘The marriage of Figaro’, then ‘Don Giovanni’ in 1787. That year his father died. Also that year he obtained a steady post under Emperor Joseph II as his chamber composer. This was part-time employment that was important when hard times arrived. However, Joseph aimed at keeping Mozart from leaving Vienna for better work. The Austrio-Turkish War made life difficult for musicians, and his aristocracy support had declined. He moved to save on expenses, but that did not help much, and he was reduced to borrowing funds from his friends, and pleading for loans. During this period he produced his last three symphonies. In 1789 he then set up on a journey to Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin hoping to improve his fortunes. In 1790 he was highly productive, producing concertos, an opera, ‘The magic flute’, a series of string quintets, a motet, and an (unfinished) Requiem. Finances began to improve and he begin paying back his debts. Public reaction to his works also brought him great satisfaction. In 1791, while in Prague for the premiere of his opera, ‘La clemenza di Tito’, he fell ill. He continued professional functions for a short time, but had to go home and be nursed by his wife over the next couple of months. He died at Vienna, Austria, at the age of 35, a small thin man with undistinguishing characteristics. He was buried in a modest grave, having had a small funeral. Beethoven composed his early works in the shadow of Mozart, and Joseph Hadyn wrote “posterity will not see such a talent (as Mozart) again in 100 years”. 600+ works. Side note: Mozart enjoyed billiards, dancing, and had a pet canary, a starling, a dog, and a horse for recreational riding. He liked off-color humor. He wore elegant clothing when performing and had a modest tenor voice. John Perry

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

1525 - 1594 Person Name: Palestrina, 1525-1594 Composer (attributed to) of "DONA NOBIS PACEM" in Moravian Book of Worship Giovanni Pierluigi (da Palestrina) Italy 1525-1594. Born at Palestrina, Italy, near Rome, then part of the Papal States to Neopolitan parents. As a youth he became a chorister at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Rome Diocese. This allowed him to learn literature and music. In 1540 he moved to Rome, where he studied in the school ofr the Hugenot, Claude Goudimel. He also studied with Robin Mallapert and Firmin Lebel. Orlando Di Lasso was also a musical advisor to him. From 1544-1551 he was organist at the Cathedral of St Agapito, the principle church of his native city. In 1547 he married Lucrezia Gori, and they had four children: Rodolfo, Angelo, Iginio, and a daughter. In 1551 Pope Julius III (previously Bishop of Palestrina) appointed him ‘maestro di cappella’, or musical director of the Cappella Giulia (choir). Pierluigi dedicated his first published compositions to Pope Julius III (1554), known as ‘the book of Masses’. It was the first book of masses by a native composer, since most sacred works in those days were from low countries (France or Spain). In 1555 Pope Paul IV ordered that all papal choristers should be clerical. As Pierluigi married early in life and had four children, he was unable to continue in the chapel as a layman. During the next decade he held positions similar to his Julian Chapel appointment at other chapels and churches in Rome, including St John Lateran (1555-1560), and Santa Maria Maggiore (1561-1566). In 1571 he returned to the Julian Chapel and remained at St Peter’s for the rest of his life. The 1570s was a decade of difficulty for him, as he lost his brother, two sons, and his wife in three separate outbreaks of plague (1572-1575-1580). In 1578 he was given the title of ‘Master of Music’ at the Vatican Basilica. He thought of becoming a priest at this time, but instead married a wealthy widow, Virginia Formoli, in 1581, widow of a wealthy merchant, which gave him financial independence (he was not well-paid as choirmaster). He spent considerable time administering to her fortune, but also was able to compose prolifically until his death. He also helped to found an association of professional musicians called the Vertuosa Compagnia dei Musici. He died in Rome of pleurisy. He left hundreds of compositions, including 1045 masses, 68 offertories, 140 madrigals, 300+ motets, 72 hymns, 35 magnificats, 11 litanies and several sets of lamentations. There are two comprehensive editions of his works: a 33-volume edition published by Breitkopf and Hartel, in Leigzig, Germany, between 1862-1894, edited by Franz Xaver Habert, and a 34-volume edition published in the mid 20th century by Fratelli Scalera, in Rome, Italy, edited by R Casimiri and others. As a Renaissance musician and composer of sacred music he was the best known 16th century representative of the Roman School of musical composition. He had a long-lasting influence on the development of church and secular music in Europe, especially on the development of counterpoint, his work considered the culmination of Renaissance polyphony. Very famous in his day, he was considered by some the legendary ‘savior of church music’. A 2009 film was produced by German television about him, titled: ‘Palestrina – Prince of Music’. John Perry

Anonymous

Person Name: Unknown Author of "Dona Nobis Pacem" in Gather Comprehensive In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries.

John J. Overholt

1918 - 2000 English text of "Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant to Us Peace)" in The Christian Hymnary. Bks. 1-4 John J. Overholt was born to an Amish family of limited means in the state of Ohio in 1918. As a child he was soon introduced to his father's personal collection of gospel songs and hymns, which was to have a marked influence on his later life. With his twin brother Joe, he early was exposed to the Amish-Mennonite tradition hymn-singing and praising worship. An early career in Christian service led to a two-year period of relief work in the country of Poland following World War II. During that interim he began to gather many European songs and hymns as a personal hobby, not realizing that these selections would become invaluable to The Christian Hymnary which was begun in 1960 and completed twelve years later in 1972, with a compilation of 1000 songs, hymns and chorales. (The largest Menn. hymnal). A second hymnal was begun simultaneously in the German language entitled Erweckungs Lieder Nr.1 which was brought to completion in 1986. This hymnal has a total of 200 selections with a small addendum of English hymns. Mr. Overholt married in 1965 to an accomplished soprano Vera Marie Sommers, who was not to be outdone by her husband's creativity and compiled a hymnal of 156 selections entitled Be Glad and Sing, directed to children and youth and first printed in 1986. During this later career of hymn publishing, Mr. Overholt also found time for Gospel team work throughout Europe. At this writing he is preparing for a 5th consecutive tour which he arranges and guides. The countries visited will be Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, Poland, USSR and Romania. Mr. Overholt was called to the Christian ministry in 1957 and resides at Sarasota, Florida where he is co-minister of a Beachy Amish-Mennonite Church. Five children were born to this family and all enjoy worship in song. --Letter from Hannah Joanna Overholt to Mary Louise VanDyke, 10 October 1990, DNAH Archives. Photo enclosed.

Federico J. Pagura

1923 - 2016 Author of "Danos paz (Dona Nobis Pacem)" in Mil Voces para Celebrar Federico José Pagura was an Argentine Methodist bishop and author and translator of hymns. Leland Bryant Ross

Gary Alan Smith

b. 1946 Arranger of "DONA NOBIS PACEM" in The United Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement GARY ALAN SMITH (b. 1947) is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin majoring in voice and composition. He received two masters degrees in sacred music and theology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he graduated with honors. He was just 26 years of age when Hope published his first choral work, a setting of O SACRED HEAD NOW WOUNDED. His original composition F 973 ANTIPHONAL HOSANNA is the 10th best selling choral piece in the Hope catalog. A life-long United Methodist, today G. Alan Smith is Senior Music Editor at Abingdon Press in Nashville, Tennessee. Gary has two credits in Hope's new hymnal WORSHIP & REJOICE (2001). --www.hopepublishing.com

Melvin West

1930 - 2019 Arranger of "DONA NOBIS PACEM" in The Worshiping Church

Diana Kodner

Person Name: Diana Kodner, b. 1957 Arranger of "[Dona nobis pacem]" in Gather Comprehensive Diana Kodner Gokce holds a double M.M. in Music from Northwestern University specializing in voice/opera and conducting. As an undergraduate, Diana was a flute major at Northwestern University. She has been a flutist in the Minnesota Orchestra, performing under Leonard Slatkin, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, and Jean-Pierre Rampal, to name but a few conductors. At the age of 17 Diana conducted the Minnesota Orchestra in a young people's concert as winner of the Urban Arts conducting competition. For six years Diana was conductor and musical director of the Mozart Sinfonia. She has been a conductor of choirs at Loyola University, National-Louis University, and Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. Diana has authored several books including Handbook for Cantors (Liturgy Training Publications) and Sing God a Simple Song Volumes I and II (Treehaus Communications). She was the editor of A Sourcebook about Music and the Gather Comprehensive Hymnal, first edition (G.I.A. Publications). She was also the conductor for the choral recordings: Catholic Classics, V.I and II (G.I.A. Publications) and both flute and vocal soloist on the Taize recording "Wait for the Lord," from the same publisher. Diana was senior editor of Clavier Magazine and the editor of both Flute Talk and Flute Explorer magazines (The Instrumentalist Company). As editor of Flute Talk Diana interviewed the great flutist Sir James Galway and Jazz flutist Steve Kujala. Most recently Diana was music director for the DVD and CD series from Egghead Learning Systems: As I Grow, for children from birth to 18 months. For 11 years she was the music specialist at Baker Demonstration School in Wilmette, Illinois, and performed as a flutist in the chamber ensemble "Diletto Musicale." Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, she is the middle school music teacher at The Frances Xavier Warde School, Holy Name Cathedral Campus in Chicago. Diana Kodner

Eric T. Myers

Arranger of "DONA NOBIS PACEM" in Glory to God Eric T. Myers-- Eric serves as Pastor of Frederick Presbyterian Church in Frederick, Maryland. Before ordination, he served as Director of Music and Organist at churches in South Carolina and Virginia. He holds degrees from Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, Columbia Theological Seminary, University of Notre Dame, and a PhD from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary; he has served as adjunct faculty at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary and Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. --www.presbyterianhymnal.org/