Practice Notes
Though the notes all move slowly, there are some challenges in playing this piece that may be unexpected. The key Mozart is using changes from the original D major to A major, and then to F major, so there are a couple surprising hand shape changes, especially the use of high 3rd finger and low 1st finger. Less experienced violinists usually don't stretch far enough when making hand shape changes like this, so be sure to reach up enough for high 3rd finger and back far enough for low 1st. The fingerings in this version were chosen to make it easier to perform, so that less experienced players can play it well. If you are more advanced, feel free to shift when desired in order to avoid open strings and make smoother slurs by avoiding string crosses.
Another difficulty is the need to keep the bow moving on the longer notes. When the bow is held for a long time, you need to prepare for that by getting all the way to the frog for down bows and all the way out to the tip for the up bows. Then start with a slightly slower bow than you may otherwise use, so that you don't accidentally use up too much bow at the beginning.
Practice Exercise Suggestions
Wide Pattern Exercise
Bow Divisions Exercise
Song Information
“Ave Verum Corpus” was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart very near the end of his life and shows his full, mature compositional genius. It is a motet, which is a type of choral composition that features independently moving parts. Though very short, it packs a strong emotional punch with its serene beauty. It was originally composed for choir, strings, and organ. This arrangement is for string quintet (violin 1 & 2, viola, cello, and double bass). The strings mainly play the vocal parts instead of the original string parts because they are more melodic and important to the overall structure of the piece.
Here is the original Latin text and an English translation:
Ave verum corpus, natum
de Maria Virgine,
vere passum, immolatum
in cruce pro homine
cuius latus perforatum
unda fluxit et sanguine
esto nobis praegustatum
in mortis examine.
Hail, true Body, born
of the Virgin Mary,
who having truly suffered, was sacrificed
on the cross for mankind,
whose pierced side
flowed with water and blood:
May it be for us a foretaste [of the Heavenly banquet]
in the trial of death.