Davide Penitente, KV.469 (Full score)

Description

The Vienna Musicians’ Society, a pension fund for the widows and orphans of professional musicians, asked Mozart, among others, to compose a choral work for performance at their benefit concert series. Presumably it was due not just to the pressure of a deadline, but also for the chance to have the music of the torso of the great C minor Mass, K. 427, performed in Vienna that he chose to arrange this composition for the Society as the cantata Davide penitente (The Mass was originally written for a performance in Salzburg in 1783). Thus, Mozart set the Kyrie and Gloria with a sacred text in Italian in the style of penitential prayers. The text was suited for Lent, which occurred at the time of the benefit concert. He also added one newly-composed aria for tenor and one aria for soprano.