Ave verum corpus (Mozart)
Mozart's motet composed for Corpus Christi in 1791.
In the summer of 1791, while working on *Die Zauberflöte*, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote a short motet for a friend. The piece, *Ave verum corpus* (K. 618), sets the main verse of a 13th-century Latin Eucharistic hymn, leaving out the final three lines. Mozart composed it for Anton Stoll, the musical director of St. Stephan parish in Baden bei Wien, where Mozart’s wife Constanze was staying while pregnant with their sixth child. The motet was intended for the feast of Corpus Christi, which fell on 23 June that year; Mozart dated the autograph 17 June 1791 and entered it in his personal catalogue the next day.
Scored for SATB choir, strings, and organ, the piece is only 46 bars long. Mozart’s manuscript gives minimal instructions—just a single *sotto voce* marking at the start. Composed less than six months before his death, the motet is simpler than his Requiem, suited to a small-town church choir, yet it foreshadows the Requiem’s declamatory gestures and blend of old and new styles. Through chromatic and tonal harmonies, Mozart reflects on themes of death, salvation, and the Eucharist.
Later composers paid tribute to the work. Franz Liszt made piano and organ transcriptions (Searle 461a and 674d), and quoted the motet in his *Evocation à la Chapelle Sixtine* (Searle 461), which exists in versions for piano, organ, orchestra, and piano duet. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky incorporated an orchestration of Liszt’s transcription into his fourth orchestral suite, *Mozartiana* (Op. 61).
Quick Facts
- Composer
- W. A. Mozart
- Key
- D major
- Occasion
- Feast of Corpus Christi
- Catalogue
- K. 618
- Text
- Ave verum corpus
- Language
- Latin
- Vocal
- SATB · soprano, alto, tenor and bass chorus
- Instrumental
- strings · organ
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mozart composed the motet in 1791 in the middle of writing his opera Die Zauberflöte. He wrote it while visiting his wife Constanze, who was pregnant with their sixth child and staying in the spa Baden bei Wien. Mozart set the main verse of the 13th-century Latin Eucharist hymn 'Ave verum corpus', omitting the last three lines. He wrote the motet for Anton Stoll (1747–1805), a friend of his, who was the musical director of the parish St. Stephan, Baden. The setting was composed to celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi; the autograph is dated 17 June 1791; Mozart dated it in his personal catalogue on 18 June. (The feast of Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, and in 1791 was observed on 23 June.)
Reader's Guide
The motet was composed less than six months before Mozart's death. It foreshadows aspects of the Requiem such as declamatory gesture, textures, and integration of forward- and backward-looking stylistic elements. While the Requiem is a dramatic composition, this motet is simpler in structure, suited for the church choir in a small town. It expresses Mozart's deeply held beliefs about the Eucharist; he uses chromatic and tonal harmonic structures to reflect on religious themes of death, salvation and communion. Franz Liszt made transcriptions of Mozart's motet for piano solo and for organ, and also quoted Mozart in his fantasie piece Evocation à la Chapelle Sixtine. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky incorporates an orchestration of Liszt's transcription in his fourth orchestral suite, Mozartiana, Op. 61; a tribute to Mozart's music. The composition is only forty-six bars long and contains minimal directions, with only a single sotto voce marking at the beginning.
Did You Know?
- Mozart composed the motet while visiting his pregnant wife Constanze in Baden bei Wien.
- The motet is only forty-six bars long and has minimal performance directions.
- Franz Liszt made transcriptions of the motet for piano solo and for organ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ave verum corpus (K. 618)?
It is a brief sacred motet in D major that Mozart composed in the summer of 1791, scored for SATB voices, string orchestra, and organ. The piece takes its text from a medieval Latin hymn celebrating the Eucharist.
Who was Ave verum corpus written for?
Mozart created the motet as a gift for Anton Stoll, who led the choir at the St. Stephan parish church in Baden bei Wien. His wife Constanze was spending the summer there, resting while expecting their sixth child.
What occasion was Ave verum corpus intended for?
The piece was composed to be performed on the feast of Corpus Christi, which fell on 23 June 1791. Mozart dated his manuscript 17 June of that year and recorded the work in his personal thematic catalog.
What text does Ave verum corpus set?
Mozart chose the central verse of a 13th-century Latin hymn about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, but he dropped the last three lines of the original text.
Why is Ave verum corpus so beloved by singers and listeners?
In just a few minutes of music it achieves a remarkable blend of serene harmony, vivid orchestral color, and deep spiritual feeling, which has made it a staple of choral and organ literature. It was written in the same summer as Die Zauberflöte, showing how fluidly Mozart moved between opera and sacred writing.
More in Iconic Songs & Compositions 1-18
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced