Motet for Soprano in G, “Ergo interest” (doubtful), K. 143
par Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart’s “Ergo interest” – “Quaere superna” (K. 143) is a small Latin sacred solo for soprano and strings in G major, transmitted in a source that leaves its authorship uncertain. Often linked with Mozart’s early Salzburg church output, the work is nevertheless best approached as a minor liturgical piece of doubtful authenticity.
Background and Context
K. 143 is catalogued as a work of doubtful authenticity and survives as an extant, completed piece for soprano with string accompaniment and organ continuo [1]. The music is transmitted as a paired recitative and aria (“Ergo interest, an quis …” / “Quaere superna”) and is frequently treated as a compact solo motet for church use rather than part of a Mass Ordinary [2].
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Because the attribution is contested, it is safest to hear the piece in the stylistic neighborhood of the 14-year-old Mozart’s sacred writing in and around Salzburg—skillful, practical, and aimed at a single capable soloist—without insisting on a secure place in his autograph canon [1].
Musical Character
The scoring is modest and church-functional: voice (soprano) supported by strings and basso continuo (organ with cello/bass line) [2]. In performance it typically unfolds as an expressive declamatory recitative, followed by a more regularly shaped aria—an Italianate sacred idiom that allows the soloist to move from rhetorical admonition to lyrical persuasion within a short span.
Harmonically the work remains within the bright, uncomplicated orbit suggested by G major, and its texture favors clear melodic projection over contrapuntal display. For listeners interested in Mozart’s early development, “Ergo interest” is valuable precisely as a small-scale study in text-led vocal writing—whether or not the final word on authorship can be given.
[1] Mozarteum (Köchel Verzeichnis) work entry for KV 143 — status (doubtful), key, dating, and basic instrumentation.
[2] IMSLP work page for Ergo interest, K.143/73a — general information (key, likely date, instrumentation) and access to score sources.