「⼈⼈都有⼀死」，死亡卻非活⼈所能經歷︔⼀部死亡為題⽽作者中途死去的遺作，⾃是神祕驚⼼。關於莫札特《安魂曲》，各種資訊包括新舊樂譜和錄⾳錄影版本，在現今全球網路時代隨⼿可得，但也紛紜煩亂。最可以確定的，是 1791 年底莫札特臨終前，只能完成這部委託作品的前 3/5: I. Introitus-Kyrie, II. Sequenz 和 III. Offertorium，⽽且幾乎全未配器，第⼆⼤段終的名曲 “Lacrimosa” 在八⼩節後也停筆了，因此他的遺孀暗中找⼈補齊該曲後續以及 IV. Sanctus-Benedictus 和 V. Agnus Dei-Communio 兩⼤段 (尾段其實重⽤了 I 的⾳樂)，趕及交付以保訂⾦，更背約⽽⾼價售出幾份抄本和安排⾸演。過程中，當事⼈為求⽣計散播不少⽭盾說法，開啟了本曲的謎樣傳奇，⽽在 1984 年的電影 Amadeus 達到⾼峰。但作為此時此地的基督徒，我們又如何理解這⾸ 1791 年維也納的天主教禮儀⾳樂︖
傳道者腓利與⼀位埃塞俄比亞⼤臣的相遇，或能呈現⼀些原則。當時，⼤臣讀著七百多年前的以賽亞書，聖靈派腓利問他：「你明⽩所讀的嗎︖」於是⼤臣就向他請教，腓利便從那段經⽂入⼿，講解耶穌的福⾳，最終⼤臣決志受洗 (徒 8:26-40)。
宗教改⾰後，基督(新)教為求更準確理解聖經，驅使了現代詮釋學 (理解「理解」之學) 的發展。回顧腓利如何將不同時空的⽂本連結到⼤臣此時此地的意義，如同我們平常由解經到應⽤的過程，已隱含詮釋學「視域融合」的概念。簡單來說，視域以觀點囿於處境，隱喻意義在乎脈絡︔視域融合則隱喻詮釋的實現，始於讀者在處境中與⽂本脈絡對話，再調和⾃身觀點⽽達成新的理解。儘管⾳樂作為表演藝術可以直通⼼靈，就如禱告和歌頌需要靈性悟性並⽤ (林前 14:15)，忠實的詮釋 (所謂鑑古推今的演繹 “historically informed performance”) 仍需運⽤知識理解記譜、配器和彈奏法等意義，才能融合歷史和當今視域。
為了理解他的《安魂曲》，我們需要融合的幾個「視域」之⼀，是莫札特作為天主(舊)教徒的身分，又是共濟會的正式會員，並為該會寫了⼀些樂曲 (如《共濟會葬禮⾳樂》，其沉黯的管樂⾊彩為《安魂曲》的範本)。共濟會本是不公開的兄弟團體，後被《達⽂西密碼》等⼩說和電影蒙上神秘甚至邪惡的⾯紗，但除了法意等地的會社比較反教會或宗教，英德地區卻多兼容啟蒙和基督教的進步思想 (莫札特後期的歌劇也多反映這些觀念)，並從事慈善服務，因此吸引不少新教徒，莫札特當地的天主教會也未禁⽌。至於新舊教之間教義雖有歧異，但仍屬以聖經為本並以耶穌為救主的⼀神信仰。無論如何，莫札特與我們同樣虧缺了神的榮耀，同樣渴慕創造主的⾃由、完美和超越︔他的⾳樂為此作證，我們得以體驗和凝思。
其次是《安魂曲》作為舊教的禮儀。⼗六世紀初，宗教改⾰在禮儀上把重⼼轉向聖經的宣講，並使⽤地⽅語⾔以及會眾詩歌提⾼參與。不久舊教也回應改⾰，雖然維持普世性的拉丁⽂，但也要求歌詞在複⾳⼿法的能聽度，減少花巧和炫技。1781 年莫札特遷居維也納，正值皇帝約瑟夫⼆世在啟蒙思潮下⼤施改⾰，例如取消舊教許多特權以及簡化禮儀，又廢除包括新教在內的禁令。這當中難免有政教之爭，不過對舊教禮儀的改⾰，遙遙呼應同代萊比錫尼古拉教堂的改造，從舊教的巴洛克美學，轉向富於新教精神的典雅簡璞。總的來說，我們與莫札特《安魂曲》的相通點不在教義或禮儀，⽽是在廣義基督信仰的⾳樂上。
還有是死亡觀。基督信仰核⼼為⼗字架，但新舊教對死亡在教義和禮儀上存在歧異。舊教仍以地獄的恐懼和煉獄的補救為基調，⽽後⼈可以透過各種儀式、代禱和善⾏，加快死者在煉獄的淨化以進天堂。新教則拒絕各種不合聖經的繁⽂縟禮甚至買賣交易，堅持⽣前本乎恩因着信⽽得救。喜樂地迎接死亡和盼望復活，是改教者路德和加爾⽂共同的信仰︔莫札特在他的⽗親臨終以及⼀位同輩好友離世時，也表⽰過相若的意念。1960 年代梵蒂岡第⼆屆⼤公會議已經轉移葬禮的重點於復活的盼望，「末⽇經」(II. Sequenz) 也不再屬於安魂彌撒的固定結構。如今全球疫情剛歇，兩⼤熱戰和新冷戰即起，莫札特《安魂曲》提供我們⼀個默想死亡之於個⼈以及世界的空間。
由於約瑟夫改⾰的禁制，莫札特在維也納⼗年間幾乎沒有完成任何教會樂曲。不過他經常參加帝國圖書館館長兼約瑟夫改⾰的重要幕僚 Gottfried van Swieten 的週⽇樂集，認識許多他在柏林擔任外交官時收集的新教徒巴赫和韓德爾的作品。Van Swieten 又委託莫札特重新編訂韓德爾的《彌賽亞》等等以作演出 (他後來也資助海頓《創世紀》等神劇並參與歌詞的譯寫)。這些新教⾳樂傳統的啟發，在莫札特的《安魂曲》裡表現為巴赫式對位和韓德爾式合唱，以及整體所呈現的精簡返璞風格。教會⾳樂是莫札特的本⾏和宿志，所以皇帝去世不久，他就無償負擔維也納主教座堂副樂長的職務，待多病的正樂長過世後可以接任。可惜在位才半年，未滿 36 歲的莫札特就病逝，比正樂長還早⾛了兩年。若非如此，他在遺作《安魂曲》所展現靠近新教美學的轉向，定將改寫教會⾳樂的歷史。
詮釋學另⼀個概念是「詮釋循環」。因為理解不是⼀蹴即至，⽽是不斷在⽂本和脈絡、整體和局部、歷史和現在之間，循環修正誤解或偏⾒，這樣我們或可漸漸明⽩莫札特未完成的《安魂曲》。
紀念親愛的孫卓然 (†2020)
北約好弟兄和詩班同儕
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kam92925@gmail.com
“Everyone must die once,” yet death is beyond experience for the living; a posthumous work about death while the author died midway through it, therefore, is inherently mysterious and unsettling. Regarding Mozart’s Requiem, various information as well as new and old scores and audio-visual recordings are readily available in this age of global internet, yet all the more profuse and confusing. The most certain thing is that before Mozart died at the end of 1791, he only completed 3/5 of this commissioned work: I. Introitus-Kyrie, II. Sequenz and III. Offertorium, most of them still unorchestrated, and the sublime “Lacrimosa” at the end of II waned after eight bars, so his widow secretly asked his pupils to complete it and the remaining two movements: IV. SanctusBenedictus and V. Agnus Dei-Communio (the final section actually reuses the music from I), rushing to deliver the whole to secure the payment. A few copies were then sold at high prices, and the completed work was premiered, all without the consent of the original patron. In the process, she had spread conflicting statements for financial reasons, giving rise to the work’s mysterious legend, which reached its peak in the 1984 film Amadeus. However, as Christians in this time and place, how can we understand this Catholic liturgical music from Vienna in 1791?
The encounter between the evangelist Philip and an Ethiopian minister may illustrate some principles. At that time, the minister was reading the ancient book of Isaiah, and the Holy Spirit sent Philip to ask him, “But do you understand what you’re reading?” When the minister asked for guidance, Philip started from that scripture to explain the gospel of Jesus, and the minister eventually decided to be baptized (Acts 8:26-40).
After the Reformation, the desire of Protestants for a more accurate understanding of the Bible had driven the development of modern hermeneutics. How Philip connected texts from different times and spaces with the minister’s current situation already implies the concept of “fusion of horizons” in hermeneutics: interpretation starts with a dialogue between the reader within his/her situation and the text with its contexts, follows by harmonizing one’s own perspective to achieve a new understanding. Although as a performing art, music could communicate directly to the heart, but like prayer and praise demand both spirit and mind (1 Cor. 14:15), an adequate interpretation (“historically informed performance”) requires knowledge to understanding the meaning of notation, instrumentation, and performance practice in the historical and contemporary contexts.
To understand this Requiem, the first “horizon” we need to mediate is Mozart’s identity as a Catholic and a Freemason (he even composed several Masonic pieces, including the Masonic Funeral Music, featuring a somber wind palette that serves as a template for his Requiem). Freemasonry is an exclusive brotherhood, often portrayed with a mysterious or even sinister veil in novels and films like The Da Vinci Code. However, only the Lodges in Latin countries like France and Italy were openly hostile to the Church and to religion. In English or German speaking regions, Freemasonry was more compatible with progressive Enlightenment and Christian ideas (Mozart’s late operas also reflect these concepts), and engaged in charitable activities, attracting many Protestant members, and even Mozart’s local Catholic Church did not prohibit participation. As to Catholicism and Protestantism, in spite of their doctrinal differences, both adhere to a monotheistic faith centered on the Bible and Jesus as the Savior. Regardless, Mozart and us have all fallen short of God’s glory and yearned for the Creator’s freedom, perfection, and transcendence; his music bears witness to these aspirations for us to experience and contemplate.
Another “horizon” to be sorted out is the Requiem as a Catholic ritual. In the early 16th century, the Reformation shifted liturgy towards the proclamation of the Bible, and promoted the use of vernacular and congregational singing to enhance participation. The Counter-Reformation soon responded, though still maintained the catholicity of Latin, it emphasized the comprehensibility of the words in polyphony, reducing extravagance and virtuosity. In 1781, when Mozart moved to Vienna, Emperor Joseph II implemented many reforms inspired by the Enlightenment, stripping many privileges from the Catholic Church, curtailed the liturgy, and abolishing restrictions against Protestantism, among others. While rivalries between church and state were certainly involved, the spirit of liturgical reform corresponded to contemporaneous renovations at Leipzig’s St. Nicholas Church, where the Baroque aesthetics of Catholicism was transformed to the classicism inspired by Protestantism. In summary, our connection to Mozart’s Requiem could not be doctrinal or ritual, but within the broader context of Christian music.
Yet another is the perspective on death. While the core of Christian faith is the cross, divergences exist between Catholicism and Protestantism regarding doctrines and rituals related to death. Catholicism still emphasizes the fear of hell and the remedy of purgatory: the posterity can expedite the purification of the deceased to enter paradise through various rituals, prayers, and good deeds. Protestantism rejects all non-Biblical practices and even merchandizing, insisting on salvation through grace and faith during the lifetime. Joyfully awaiting death and anticipating resurrection are shared beliefs of Luther and Calvin; Mozart expressed similar convictions when his father was near his end, and when a close peer died. In the 1960s, Vatican II also shifted the focus of funeral rituals to the hope of resurrection, and “Dies irae” (II. Sequenz) is no longer an obligatory part of the Requiem Mass. Now, as the global pandemic barely recedes but two major hot wars unfold alongside a new cold war, Mozart’s Requiem offers us a space to meditate on death individually as well as universally.
Due to the restrictions imposed by Josephinism, Mozart completed hardly any church music during his stay in Vienna. However, Mozart frequently participated in the Sunday matinées organized by Gottfried van Swieten, director of the Imperial Library and a key aide in the Emperor’s reforms. At these gatherings, Mozart encountered many works by Bach and Handel that van Swieten had collected during his time as a diplomat in Berlin. Van Swieten also commissioned Mozart to rearrange works by Handel such as Messiah for performance (he later also supported Haydn’s oratorios, including The Creation, and participated in translating or writing the librettos). These inspirations from the Protestant musical tradition are evident in Mozart’s Requiem, with Bach-style counterpoint and Handel-style choral writing, as well as the overall inward, austere, and pristine character.
Church music was Mozart’s métier and aspirations, such that once the Emperor passed away, he took on the unremunerative duties of deputy music director at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, expecting to succeed the ailing incumbent upon his demise. Unfortunately, Mozart’s tenure lasted only half a year; he died of illness before his 36th birthday, even two years ahead of the chief music director. Had it not been for this untimely end, Mozart’s journey towards a Protestant aesthetics, as demonstrated in his unfinished Requiem, would certainly have rewritten the history of church music.
Another concept in hermeneutics is the “hermeneutic cycle.” Understanding is not an immediate process, but an ongoing cycling between text and context, whole and parts, history and present, in order to correct misunderstandings or biases. It is by way of the “hermeneutic cycle” that we might gradually comprehend Mozart’s unfinished Requiem.
In loving memory of Edwin Sun (†2020)
Dear brother and fellow chorister at NYCBC
Lap Kwan KAM