MOZART AND THE PRACTICE OF SACRED MUSIC, 1781-91 a ...

dell’organo.” 5 If carried out, this objective would have caused even more radical changes to
sacred music than Joseph II’s Gottesdienstordnung, but the rejection of the Pistoia decrees by
a national synod of bishops the following year ensured that it was never adopted.
Despite Leopold’s enthusiasm for liturgical reform, he was to be responsible for a
lessening of the official restrictions on the performance of sacred music soon after his
installation as ruler of the Austrian lands in April 1790. In November of that year, Leopold
instructed the President of the Geistliche Hofkommission, Baron Kressel, to prepare a report
on the current state of religious affairs in the Erblande, and to seek the opinions of the
Austrian bishops on how the situation might be improved. 6 Although most of the original
responses are no longer extant, a document survives that records the bishops’ opinions in
summary. 7 Although they were divided on the merits of the Gottesdienstordnung, it is clear
that there was widespread dissatisfaction among their congregations, many of which desired
to see the reintroduction of processions, statues and other devotional items that had been
removed under the edicts of Joseph II.
A number of the submissions evidently mentioned music. The Bishop of Gradiska
(now Gradiška in Bosnia-Herzegovina) “erinnert nur, daß der Normalgesang das Volk zu
sehr zerstreue und demnach abzustellen wäre.” The Bishop of Budweis (now České
Budějovice in the Czech Republic) “erinnert...daß mehrere Gesänge auf verschiedene
Festtäge zu verfassen wären.” Archbishop Migazzi of Vienna complained about the lack of
solemnity at masses and litanies, and requested that on Sundays and feastdays a litany be
permitted that included “ein musikalisches Regina Coeli oder Salve Regina.” The most
extensive comments in the summary, however, originated with the Bishop of Linz, Joseph
5 Quoted in Antonio Zobi, Storia Civile Della Toscana Dal Mdccxxxvii Al Mdcccxlviii (Florence: Luigi Molini,
1850), ii.155.
6 RGZJ, 305.
7 AVA, A-Kultus 598, 445/3/1791; partial transcription in RGZJ, 556-59.
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