Veni Sancte Spiritus (Mozart)

Veni Sancte Spiritus (KV 47) is a spiritual Chormotette by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He composed it in 1768 in Vienna at the age of 12 years and put them in C major for SATB choir, soloists, orchestra and organ.

The work is divided into two parts: the setting of the actual Pfingstantiphons and an extensive Alleluia. The choir sings almost continuously, with the exception of short two -part solo interjections. The orchestra includes 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 timpani, strings and organ. It can be seen large influences of the church music of his father Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn and Johann Ernst Eberlin.

The fact that the text begins with the same words as the Pentecost sequence and that are closing an Alleluia, led to the widespread assumption that it was, in a setting of known Pfingstsequenz. As a text template, however, served the unknown antiphon Ad invocandum Spiritum Sanctum. Mozart also sat as a subtitle " Offertory", pointing out the actual use in the Church's liturgy.

The Alleluia in the second part is sometimes also listed in worship outside of Pentecost alone.