MOZART & FREEMASONRY THE MAGIC FLUTE AMADEUS MASONIC BIOGRAPHIES

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Detail of painting from life by Jean Guerrin, Nathan Dolf’s Famous Composers. January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791 The youngest child and only surviving son of freemason, Leopold Mozart, Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus was born in Salzburg in 1756, He showed early precocity both as a keyboard-player and violinist, and soon turned his hand to composition. Mozart composed a number of masonic pieces. When his father received his masonic Second Degree Wolfgang wrote "Fellow Crafts Journey (Op. K468) to honour the occasion. For lodge Zur Wohltatigkeit he wrote "Opening Ode" (Op. K483) and Closing Ode (Op. K484) His last masonic work (Op. K623) was written for the dedication of a masonic temple in Vienna on November 15, 1791. Mozart was essentially an operatic composer. His last stage work, "The Magic Flute", an opera with strong hermetic themes, was running with success at the time of his death. Initiated: December 14, 1784 lodge Zur Woltatigkeit Passed: January 7, 1785 Raised: before April 22, 1785 Lodge Zur Wahren Eintracht Source: Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, "Bro. Mozart and some of his masonic friends," Herbert Bradley. vol. xxvi (1913), pp. 241-263. Note Frederick Smyth, Paul Nettl, and others maintain that the actual Raising date is unknown. Lewis L. Main Jr. and Jacques Chailley state he was raised on April 22, 1785. Cf. Mozart, Music and Masonry, William K. Bissey, member of the Philalethes Society : 'Bro. F. de Backer of Kortrijk, Belgium states the following. The minutes of Lodge True Concord of April 22, 1785 show the following "Bro. Leopold Mozard (sic) of Lodge zur Wohltätigkeit ...[with two other candidates]...were raised to the Third Degree of our Royal Order with the accustomed ceremonies." Bro. de Backer continues stating that "In the Attendance Register of Eintract for 22 April both Leopold and Wolfgang signed as a Master Mason but the name of Leopold was struck through because he had signed as a Master Mason while still a Fellow Craft." A photo copy of the attendance register in question is reproduced as plate 2 in Nettl’s book Mozart and Masonry. Thus, Wolfgang Mozart was raised as a Master Mason sometime between January 7, 1785 and April 22, 1785."'

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