Kyrie in C major (fragment; completed by M. Stadler), K. 323
av Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart’s Kyrie in C major (K. 323) survives only as an incomplete draft, later completed for publication by Abbé Maximilian Stadler. Probably not written before 1790, it represents a late Salzburg-linked sacred fragment whose musical substance is largely Mozart’s, but whose performable form depends on Stadler’s editorial hand.
What Is Known
The Kyrie in C major, K. 323, is transmitted as an incomplete draft score rather than a finished church movement, and the commonly performed version depends on a completion by Abbé Maximilian Stadler—a musician in Mozart’s circle who also became associated with the posthumous transmission of other late sacred materials [1]. Modern catalogues therefore describe the work explicitly as a fragment [2].
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
While older reference traditions sometimes attach earlier dates to the piece, at least one modern publisher’s summary places it “probably not prior to 1790” [1]. In practical terms, K. 323 sits at the margin of Mozart’s late sacred output: a Mass movement begun but left unfinished, then stabilized for performance by a close contemporary rather than by Mozart himself.
Musical Content
What survives points to a compact, festive C-major Kyrie conceived for SATB choir and orchestra. The performing materials typically list:
- Winds: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons
- Brass: 2 trumpets
- Percussion: timpani
- Strings: violin I, violin II, viola, bass
- Continuo: organ
- Voices: SATB choir [3]
In style it suggests Mozart’s late preference for clear choral declamation supported by bright orchestral color; yet any detailed reading of form and thematic working must also reckon with the seam between Mozart’s draft and Stadler’s completion, which inevitably shapes transitions, cadential strategy, and the final sense of architectural “finish.”
[1] Carus-Verlag catalogue note on Mozart’s incomplete Kyrie drafts K. 322 and K. 323 and Stadler’s completion; dating remark (“probably not prior to 1790”).
[2] MozartDocuments.org Köchel Index entry listing K. 323 as “Kyrie in C (fragment)”.
[3] IMSLP work page for Kyrie in C major, K. Anh.15/323: instrumentation listing and note that it was completed by Abbé Stadler.