Mozart and the Masons

The worldwide fraternal organization of Freemasonry calls itself "a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." It is in fact nothing more than an educational society, attempting to teach its members a moral philosophy of life - it strives for a regeneration of humanity by moral means. But the secrecy of this the world's largest brotherhood, deemed necessary to ensure that aspiring members truly meet their moral standards, has always evoked a vague feeling of unease and suspicion. And this was even more so the case during the revolutionary age of the late 18th century.

During this time, Freemasonry also had a pronounced political aspect to it. After all, the era of Enlightenment brought with it The American and French Revolutions and the old monarchies of Europe were nervous about anything suggesting social reform or change. Hadn't the revolt of the American colonies been led by many a Mason; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin among them? Hadn't the Masons in France been behind the push for republican government?

Before the Revolution, Austrian emperors, for instance, often took a benign view of Masonry's belief that man is perfectible through reason. But in this revolutionary context they too suspected treason when the Masons argued that there would be no need for monarchs in a fully enlightened society. And into this turbulent period enters a harmless musician, "brother Mozart".

Mozart joined a Masonic Lodge in the autumn of 1784 at the age of twenty-eight and spent a total of 7 years as a Mason. A famous child prodigy and now an admired composer living in Vienna, it wasn't long before he attained the rank of "Master Mason" and during this time composed several musical pieces for the brotherhood; among them his Freemason's Funeral Music and other works that are still played in ceremonies of Masonry today.