Masonic music has been defined as "music used in connection with the ritual and social functions offreemasonry."[1] Two major types of music used inmasonic lodges are lodge songs, played to keyboard accompaniment before or after meetings, or during meals; and music written to accompany specific masonic ceremonies and events. Because the number 3 and the letter 'B' are of particular significance to freemasonry, music written in thekeys ofC minor orE flat major, which both involve 3flats, (whose symbol '♭' resembles the lowercase letter 'b'), in theirkey signatures has been considered especially appropriate for masonic ceremonial music.[2]
Although there had been earlier examples, likeJean-Philippe Rameau's operaZoroastre (1749), whose librettistLouis de Cahusac was a Freemason, the masonic music ofWolfgang Amadeus Mozart is among the best-known of its kind. Mozart's operaThe Magic Flute and his incidental music toThamos, King of Egypt have masonic connections.[3] Other openly masonic compisitions by Mozart include theMaurerische Trauermusik (Masonic Funeral Music) and a number of songs andcantatas.[4]
Lodges sometimes used the music of other composers for their proceedings (with or without permission) often adding different words. For example, in 1810,Ludwig van Beethoven, who is not documented as a mason, wrote to his friend the doctorFranz Wegeler: "I was told you were singing a song of mine in the Masonic Lodge... Send it to me, I am going to replace it and you won't be sorry." Wegeler himself published two masonic texts suggesting melodies of Beethoven (theOpferliedWoO 126 and the songDer freie Mann WoO 117) which could be used for them.[5]
Music especially composed formasonic rituals began to be published in the 18th century, including music written byGeorg Benda,Ignaz Pleyel,François-André Danican Philidor,Johann Gottlieb Naumann,Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner andChristian Gottlob Neefe. Anthems and other works for use in masonic lodges were written by, amongst others, in the 18th centuryWilliam Boyce, in the 19th centuryAlbert Lortzing, and in the 20th centuryJean Sibelius.[6] French composerAndré Gedalge wrote the anthem for the International Order of FreemasonryLe Droit Humain, with lyrics by his wife Amélie André-Gedalge, who was initiated at Lodge No. 1 of Le Droit Humain in 1907.[7][8]
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