Masonic Composers and their Music.

Recently a friend who is not a Freemason asked if I could confirm

if the great composers, Mozart and Beethoven were Freemasons. He had been reading about the Great Masters and seemed quite surprised that they had composed works with a "Masonic Meaning".

There have been many Masonic composers throughout the centuries including such great names as, Sibelius, Liszt, Souza, Haydn, Grofe, George Cohan, Irving Berlin, Gilbert and Sullivan to name but a few, but perhaps the most famous was Mozart. 

All the above composers can be confirmed as Members from Lodge records, but Beethoven remains a puzzle. 

He was probably a Freemason but no record exists of him joining a

Lodge or attending meetings. However, he did write two letters which

could be taken to be Faternal greetings, while one of his teachers C.G. Neefe was a mason. Beethoven composed songs for Masonic purposes, " Maurerfragen" (Masonic Questions) and "Der Freye Mann" (The Free Man). He also had many Masonic friends among the composers such as Boildieu, Franz Abe, J.N. Hummel, H.C. Litolff, G.A. Lortzing, C.D. Loewe and many more. Surely, he must have been a Mason but unfortunately, we can not say for certain that he was a Mason.

On the other hand Mozart`s Masonic connections are well documented. Wolgang Amadeus Mozart has been called that genius among all geniuses. More than any other musician he reformed the size, the forms and the language of music. Many aspects of music which we take for granted would simply not exist without him; the classical piano concerto, the clarinet as a member of the orchestra, the string quintet and the piano quartet are only a few inventions in the field of instrumental music. 

Mozart`s desire to create unity and his intuition for drama were two most helpful qualities in the accomplishment of these incredible feats. His impulse to unify the two principle forms of sonata and fugue corresponded to ideas prevalent at the epoch: the ethos of Masonic Composers and their Music. 

In 1793 Mozart was in Prague where he visited the Masonic Lodge zur

Wahrheit und Eingkeit (Truth and Unity), where his cantana, Die Maurerfreude was performed and he promised his Brethren that he would shortly be offering a better tribute to the Masonic spirit. He was referring to Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). 

Mozart`s Death. 

In 1751 on 15th. October, Mozart was composing a Little Masonic Cantata for the dedication of the temple of the Loge zur Neugekronte Hoffnung (Newly Crowned Hope) on 18th. November, but his health was deteriorating rapidly. 

During a walk with his wife he spoke of death and his suspicion that he had been poisoned. However, two days later he was well enough to conduct his cantata, but a further two days later he was back in bed.

He died on 4th. December, to what was described as "severe military

fever". To this day no one is sure where he is buried. There had been

a cholera epidemic in Vienna and the police had discouraged large and lengthy funerals. About a week after his death, a Vienna newspaper wrote that the swelling of his body after death led to the suspicion of his having being poisoned. This rumour proved persistent and thirty two years later a rival composer attempted to cut his throat and, completely deranged, claimed that he had poisoned Mozart and wished to confess to the crime. 

Then in the mid - 1920`s another legend blamed the Viennese Masons, in revenge for the composer having betrayed some of their secrets in Die Zauberflotte. 

Another story believed to originate from Nazi Germany, Mozart was assassinated for having invaded the Temple of Solomon. Mozart, the greatest composer of his century, died within weeks of his thirty sixth birthday.

JOSEPH HAYDN became a Freemason at the age of fifty three into Loge zur wahren Eintracht (True Unity) on 11th. February 1785 and until his death in 1809, he retained an interest in the Craft. This Lodge in Vienna was the centre of much activity in the musical field, as many famous musicians were among its members, but it was probably one of the most outstanding in the country. It based its work on the English ritual and the Ancient Landmarks. 

Its Master, Ignaz von Born, was a famous scholar and scientist, made it a real Masonic Academy of Science and Art. Papers read were reprinted in the Journal fur Fremaurer from 1784 to 1786, which ran into twelve volumes. Among its members were Privy Councillor Joseph Franz von Ratchky, who wrote the words for Mozart`s Gesellenreise, and Karl Joseph Michaeler, former Rector Magnificus of the University of Innsbruck, and Mozart was often present at the meetings. 

The Lodge held the principle that, "The Freemason serves Mankind in all parts of the world, under all kinds of Governments, in public or in secret". Haydn served as the Kapellmeiser to the principle house of Esterhazy, and therefore spent a good deal of his time in Hungary. It was undoubtedly his friendship with Mozart which brought about his interest in Masonry. Mozart`s father Leopold, was also a member of this Lodge. 

It was a Freemason, Leopold Haschka, whose words were set to music by Haydn in Gott erhalte, in 1797 as the German National Anthem.

His works were becoming known outside Austria and in 1785 he visited England and held concerts which included one at the Academy of Antient Music at Freemasons Hall. 

The end of the year brought the sad news of Mozarts death and he wrote to a Brother Mason, Johann Michael Puchberg, a banker, 

"For some time I was beside myself about his death, and I could not believe that Providence would so soon claim the life of such an indispensable man". 

Haydn returned to Vienna and invited a young musician named Beethoven to study with him. Here it can be noted that Beethoven had two persons closely connected with him who were also Freemasons: his teacher, Christian Neefe and his doctor and biographer, Dr. Wegeler. 

 . . . . . . Could Beethoven have been a Freemason?