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

outset; see Figure 1.5. One exception concerned the service of Vespers, where the Consistory
under Migazzi proposed allowing St. Stephen’s Cathedral to hold more festive renditions
than the city’s other churches. When the document was presented to Joseph for his approval,
the Emperor reminded Migazzi of the requirement that special music must be the
administrative and financial responsibility of the Archbishop alone. In the final version, the
reference to the Cathedral was removed, replaced by a clause explicitly banning instrumental
music from vespers. 73
On 25 February 1783, the new Gottesdienstordnung was proclaimed throughout the
city by means of circulars and a specially produced booklet. The Consistory also produced a
hymnbook for the new service order, with its contents derived from Maria Theresia’s
Katholisches Gesangbuch; see Figure 1.6. The new arrangements did not come into force
immediately, but became effective on Easter Sunday, 20 April, giving church musicians time
to comprehend the profound changes occurring in their employment conditions. Both the
circulars and the booklet consist of the Gottesdienstordnung proper, detailing the observance
of mass, vespers, the various litanies and other services, followed by the Andachtsordnung,
listing the churches of the city and the times at which these services could be heard. Migazzi
made yet another attempt to stop the introduction of this scheme on 6 April, but Joseph
rebuffed him with a sarcastic proposal that the Ordnung should include Jesuit symbols and
other Papal references, “…dem der Kardinal sich unmöglich wird entschlagen können.” 74
The musical provisions of the Gottesdienstordnung were the single most important
influence on the practice of sacred music in Vienna between April 1783 and March 1791,
when the strictures of the scheme were relaxed by Joseph’s brother Leopold. The extent of
73 Draft submitted to Joseph, dated 11 March 1783, reply dated 13 March, both in A-Wda, Liturgie 2,
Gottesdienstordnung 1783.
74 A-Wda, Liturgie 2, Gottesdienstordnung 1783.
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