Mozart in the Morning, Ave Verum Corpus

Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus:
Wolfgang composed his ‘Ave Verum Corpus’, a motet in D major, in 1791 – the last year of his life – during a visit to Austria to see his wife, Constanze.

He composed the motet for his friend Anton Stoll, who was the musician at a small church in Baden. At the time of writing, Mozart was also in the middle of composing his final opera, The Magic Flute.

Marked with just one performance direction, ‘sotto voce’ (subdued) in Mozart’s hand on the score, the homophonic setting is arranged for SATB choir, string instruments and organ. It contains just 46 bars of music, omitting the final three lines of the full text.

Mozart intended for it to be performed on the Feast of Corpus Christi, by the small-town church choir

Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary; truly suffering, sacrificed on the cross for man; from Whose pierced side flowed water and blood. Be to us a foretaste at death’s trial, O sweet Jesus, O loving Jesus, O Jesus Son of Mary.

Ave, verum corpus
Natum de Maria Virgine,
Vere passum immolatum
In Cruce pro homine,
Cujus latus perforatum
Unda fluxit et sanguine,
Esto nobis praegustatum
In mortis examine.
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/ave-verum-corpus-hail-true-body.html

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