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The Requiem in
D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed ...
, K. 626, is a Requiem Mass by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
(1756–1791). Mozart composed part of the Requiem in Vienna in late 1791, but it was unfinished at his death on 5 December the same year. A completed version was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had commissioned the piece for a requiem service on 14 February 1792 to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of his wife Anna at the age of 20 on 14 February 1791. The autograph manuscript shows the finished and orchestrated movement of Introit in Mozart's hand, and detailed drafts of the
Kyrie ', a transliteration of Greek , vocative case of ('' Kyrios''), is a common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, also called the ( ; ). In the Bible The prayer, , "Lord, have mercy" derives from a Biblical phrase. Greek , ...
and the
sequence In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is cal ...
, the latter including the Dies irae, the first eight bars of the Lacrimosa, and the Offertory. First Joseph Eybler and then  Franz Xaver Süssmayr then filled in the rest, composed additional movements, and made a clean copy of the completed parts of the score for delivery to Walsegg, imitating Mozart's musical handwriting but clumsily dating it "1792." It cannot be shown to what extent Süssmayr may have depended on now lost "scraps of paper" for the remainder; he later claimed the Sanctus and Benedictus and the Agnus Dei as his own. Walsegg probably intended to pass the Requiem off as his own composition, as he is known to have done with other works. This plan was frustrated by a public benefit performance for Mozart's widow Constanze. She was responsible for a number of stories surrounding the composition of the work, including the claims that Mozart received the commission from a mysterious messenger who did not reveal the commissioner's identity, and that Mozart came to believe that he was writing the Requiem for his own funeral. In addition to the Süssmayr version, a number of alternative completions have been developed by composers and musicologists in the 20th and 21st centuries.


Instrumentation

The Requiem is scored for 2 basset horns in F, 2
bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...
s, 2
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
s in D, 3
trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...
s (
alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
,
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
, and
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
),
timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...
(2 drums),
violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
s,
viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
, and
basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
(
cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
,
double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
, and organ). The basset horn parts are sometimes played on conventional B♭ or A
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
s and sometimes the related alto clarinet, even though this changes the sonority. The vocal forces consist of
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
,
contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...
,
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
, and
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
soloists and an SATB mixed
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
.


Structure

Süssmayr's completion divides the Requiem into eight sections: : : : : All sections from the Sanctus onwards are not present in Mozart's manuscript fragment. Mozart may have intended to include the ''Amen'' fugue at the end of the Sequentia, but Süssmayr did not do so in his completion. The following table shows for the eight sections in Süssmayr's completion with their subdivisions: the title, vocal parts (solo
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
(S),
alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
(A),
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
(T) and
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
(B) n boldand four-part choir SATB),
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
, key, and
meter The metre (or meter in US spelling; symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Since 2019, the metre has been defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of ...
. :


Music


I. Introitus

The Requiem begins with a seven-measure instrumental introduction, in which the woodwinds (first bassoons, then basset horns) present the principal theme of the work in imitative counterpoint. The first five measures of this passage (without the accompaniment) are shown below. This theme is modeled after Handel's '' The ways of Zion do mourn'', HWV 264. Many parts of the work make reference to this passage, notably in the coloratura in the Kyrie
fugue In classical music, a fugue (, from Latin ''fuga'', meaning "flight" or "escape""Fugue, ''n''." ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary'', eleventh edition, revised, ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson (Oxford and New York: Oxford Universit ...
and in the conclusion of the Lacrymosa. The trombones then announce the entry of the choir, which breaks into the theme, with the basses alone for the first measure, followed by imitation by the other parts. The chords play off
syncopated In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
and staggered structures in the accompaniment, thus underlining the solemn and steady nature of the music. A soprano solo is sung to the ''Te decet hymnus'' text in the '' tonus peregrinus''. The choir continues, repeating the psalmtone while singing the ''Exaudi orationem meam'' section. Then, the principal theme is treated by the choir and the orchestra in downward-gliding sixteenth-notes. The courses of the melodies, whether held up or moving down, change and interlace amongst themselves, while passages in counterpoint and in unison (e.g., ''Et lux perpetua'') alternate; all this creates the charm of this movement, which finishes with a
half cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence () is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (1999). ''The Harvard Concise Dic ...
on the dominant.


II. Kyrie

The Kyrie follows without pause (''attacca''). It is a double fugue on the famous theme of the cross (connecting the four notes shows the shape of the cross) used by many composers, such as Bach, Handel, and Haydn. The counter-subject comes from the final chorus of the Dettingen Anthem, HWV 265. The first three measures of the
alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
s and basses are shown below. The contrapuntal motifs of the theme of this fugue include variations on the two themes of the Introit. At first, upward
diatonic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair ...
series of sixteenth-notes are replaced by chromatic series, which has the effect of augmenting the intensity. This passage shows itself to be a bit demanding in the upper voices, particularly for the soprano voice. A final portion in a slower (Adagio) tempo ends on an "empty" fifth, a construction which had during the classical period become archaic, lending the piece an ancient air.


III. Sequentia


a. Dies irae

The Dies irae ("Day of Wrath") opens with a show of orchestral and choral might with tremolo strings, syncopated figures and repeated chords in the brass. A rising chromatic scurry of sixteenth-notes leads into a chromatically rising harmonic progression with the chorus singing "''Quantus tremor est futurus''" ("what trembling there will be" in reference to the Last Judgment). This material is repeated with harmonic development before the texture suddenly drops to a trembling unison figure with more tremolo strings evocatively painting the "''Quantus tremor''" text.


b. Tuba mirum

Mozart's textual inspiration is again apparent in the Tuba mirum ("Hark, the trumpet") movement, which is introduced with a sequence of three notes in
arpeggio An arpeggio () is a type of Chord (music), chord in which the Musical note, notes that compose a chord are individually sounded in a progressive rising or descending order. Arpeggios on keyboard instruments may be called rolled chords. Arpe ...
, played in B major by a solo tenor trombone, unaccompanied, in accordance with the usual German translation of the Latin ''tuba'', ''Posaune'' (trombone). Two measures later, the bass soloist enters, imitating the same theme. At 7, there is a fermata, the only point in all the work at which a solo cadenza occurs. The final quarter notes of the bass soloist herald the arrival of the tenor, followed by the alto and soprano in dramatic fashion. On the text ''Cum vix justus sit securus'' ("When only barely may the just one be secure"), there is a switch to a
homophonic Homophony and Homophonic are from the Greek language, Greek ὁμόφωνος (''homóphōnos''), literally 'same sounding,' from ὁμός (''homós''), "same" and φωνή (''phōnē''), "sound". It may refer to: *Homophones − words with the s ...
segment sung by the quartet at the same time, articulating, without accompaniment, the ''cum'' and ''vix'' on the "strong" (1st and 3rd), then on the "weak" (2nd and 4th) beats, with the violins and continuo responding each time; this "interruption" (which one may interpret as the interruption preceding the Last Judgment) is heard '' sotto voce'', ''forte'' and then ''piano'' to bring the movement finally into a crescendo into a perfect cadence.


c. Rex tremendae

A descending melody composed of dotted notes is played by the orchestra to announce the ''Rex tremendae majestatis'' ("King of tremendous majesty", i.e.,
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
), who is called by powerful cries from the choir on the syllable ''Rex'' during the orchestra's pauses. For a surprising effect, the ''Rex'' syllables of the choir fall on the second beats of the measures, even though this is the "weak" beat. The choir then adopts the dotted rhythm of the orchestra, forming what Wolff calls
baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...
's form of "paying homage to princes", or, more simply put, that this musical style is a standard form of salute to royalty, or, in this case, divinity. This movement consists of only 22 measures, but this short stretch is rich in variation: homophonic writing and contrapuntal choral passages alternate many times and finish on a quasi-unaccompanied choral cadence, landing on an open D chord (as seen previously in the Kyrie).


d. Recordare

At 130 measures, the Recordare ("Remember") is the work's longest movement, as well as the first in
triple meter Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row ...
(); the movement is a setting of no fewer than seven stanzas of the '' Dies irae''. The form of this piece is somewhat similar to
sonata form The sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a musical form, musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of t ...
, with an exposition around two themes ( 1–37), a development of two themes (mm. 38–92) and a recapitulation (mm. 93–98). In the first 13 measures, the basset horns are the first to present the first theme, clearly inspired by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach's Sinfonia in D Minor, the theme is enriched by a magnificent counterpoint by cellos in descending scales that are reprised throughout the movement. This counterpoint of the first theme prolongs the orchestral introduction with chords, recalling the beginning of the work and its rhythmic and melodic shiftings (the first basset horn begins a measure after the second but a tone higher, the first violins are likewise in sync with the second violins but a quarter note shifted, etc.). The introduction is followed by the vocal soloists; their first theme is sung by the alto and bass (from 14), followed by the soprano and tenor (from m. 20). Each time, the theme concludes with a hemiola (mm. 18–19 and 24–25). The second theme arrives on ''Ne me perdas'', in which the accompaniment contrasts with that of the first theme. Instead of descending scales, the accompaniment is limited to repeated chords. This exposition concludes with four orchestral measures based on the counter-melody of the first theme (mm. 34–37). The development of these two themes begins in 38 on ''Quaerens me''; the second theme is not recognizable except by the structure of its accompaniment. At m. 46, it is the first theme that is developed beginning from ''Tantus labor'' and concludes with two measures of hemiola at mm. 50–51. After two orchestral bars (mm. 52–53), the first theme is heard again on the text ''Juste Judex'' and ends on a hemiola in mm. 66–67. Then, the second theme is reused on ''ante diem rationis''; after the four measures of orchestra from 68 to 71, the first theme is developed alone. The recapitulation intervenes in 93. The initial structure reproduces itself with the first theme on the text ''Preces meae'' and then in m. 99 on ''Sed tu bonus''. The second theme reappears one final time on m. 106 on ''Sed tu bonus'' and concludes with three hemiolas. The final measures of the movement recede to simple orchestral descending contrapuntal scales.


e. Confutatis

The Confutatis ("From the accursed") begins with a rhythmic and dynamic sequence of strong contrasts and surprising harmonic turns. Accompanied by the
basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
, the tenors and basses burst into a ''forte'' vision of the infernal, on a dotted rhythm. The accompaniment then ceases alongside the tenors and basses, and the sopranos and altos enter softly and '' sotto voce'', singing ''Voca me cum benedictis'' ("Call upon me with the blessed") with an arpeggiated accompaniment in strings. Finally, in the following stanza (''Oro supplex et acclinis''), there is a striking
modulation Signal modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform in electronics and telecommunication for the purpose of transmitting information. The process encodes information in form of the modulation or message ...
from A minor to A minor. This descent from the opening key is repeated, now modulating to the key of F major. A final dominant seventh chord leads to the Lacrymosa.


f. Lacrimosa

The chords begin ''piano'' on a rocking rhythm in , intercut with quarter rests, which will be reprised by the choir after two measures, on ''Lacrimosa dies illa'' ("This tearful day"). Then, after two measures, the sopranos begin a
diatonic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair ...
progression, in disjointed eighth-notes on the text ''resurget'' ("will be reborn"), then '' legato'' and chromatic on a powerful crescendo. The choir is ''forte'' by 8, at which point Mozart's contribution to the movement is interrupted by his death. Süssmayr brings the choir to a reference of the Introit and ends on an ''Amen'' cadence. Discovery of a fragmentary ''Amen'' fugue in Mozart's hand has led to speculation that it may have been intended for the Requiem. Indeed, many modern completions (such as Levin's) complete Mozart's fragment. Some sections of this movement are quoted in the Requiem Mass of Franz von Suppé, who was a great admirer of Mozart. Ray Robinson, the music scholar and president (from 1969 to 1987) of the Westminster Choir College, suggests that Süssmayr used materials from Credo of one of Mozart's earlier Masses, Mass in C major, K. 220 "Sparrow" in completing this movement.


IV. Offertorium


a. Domine Jesu

The first movement of the Offertorium, the Domine Jesu, begins on a ''piano'' theme consisting of an ascending progression on a G minor triad. This theme will later be varied in various keys, before returning to G minor when the four soloists enter a canon on ''Sed signifer sanctus Michael'', switching between minor (in ascent) and major (in descent). Between these thematic passages are ''forte'' phrases where the choir enters, often in unison and dotted rhythm, such as on ''Rex gloriae'' ("King of glory") or ''de ore leonis'' (" eliver themfrom the mouth of the lion"). Two choral fugues follow, on ''ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum'' ("may Tartarus not absorb them, nor may they fall into darkness") and ''Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini eius'' ("What once to Abraham you promised and to his seed"). The movement concludes homophonically in G major.


b. Hostias

The Hostias opens in E major in , with fluid vocals. After 20 measures, the movement switches to an alternation of ''forte'' and ''piano'' exclamations of the choir, while progressing from B major towards B minor, then F major, D major, A major, F minor, C minor and E major. An overtaking chromatic melody on ''Fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam'' ("Make them, O Lord, cross over from death to life") finally carries the movement into the dominant of G minor, followed by a reprise of the ''Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini eius'' fugue. The words "Quam olim da capo" are likely to have been the last Mozart wrote; this portion of the manuscript has been missing since it was stolen at 1958 World's Fair in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
by a person whose identity remains unknown.


Süssmayr's additions


V. Sanctus

The Sanctus is the first movement written entirely by Süssmayr, and the only movement of the Requiem to have a key signature with sharps: D major, generally used for the entry of trumpets in the Baroque era. After a succinct glorification of the Lord follows a short
fugue In classical music, a fugue (, from Latin ''fuga'', meaning "flight" or "escape""Fugue, ''n''." ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary'', eleventh edition, revised, ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson (Oxford and New York: Oxford Universit ...
in on '' Hosanna in excelsis'' ("Glory o Godin the highest"), noted for its
syncopated In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
rhythm, and for its motivic similarity to the ''Quam olim Abrahae'' fugue.


VI. Benedictus

The Benedictus, a quartet, adopts the key of the
submediant In music, the submediant is the sixth degree () of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symm ...
, B major (which can also be considered the relative of the
subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...
of the key of D minor). The Sanctus's ending on a D major cadence necessitates a mediant jump to this new key. The Benedictus is constructed on three types of phrases: the (A) theme, which is first presented by the orchestra and reprised from 4 by the alto and from m. 6 by the soprano. The word ''benedictus'' is held, which stands in opposition with the (B) phrase, which is first seen at m. 10, also on the word ''benedictus'' but with a quick and chopped-up rhythm. The phrase develops and rebounds at m. 15 with a broken cadence. The third phrase, (C), is a solemn ringing where the winds respond to the chords with a staggering harmony, as shown in a Mozartian cadence at mm. 21 and 22, where the counterpoint of the basset horns mixes with the line of the cello. The rest of the movement consists of variations on this writing. At m. 23, phrase (A) is reprised on a F pedal and introduces a recapitulation of the primary theme from the bass and tenor from mm. 28 and 30, respectively. Phrase (B) follows at m. 33, although without the broken cadence, then repeats at m. 38 with the broken cadence once more. This carries the movement to a new Mozartian cadence in mm. 47 to 49 and concludes on phrase (C), which reintroduces the ''Hosanna'' fugue from the Sanctus movement, in the new key of the Benedictus.


VII. Agnus Dei

Homophony In music, homophony (;, Greek: ὁμόφωνος, ''homóphōnos'', from ὁμός, ''homós'', "same" and φωνή, ''phōnē'', "sound, tone") is a texture in which a primary part is supported by one or more additional strands that provide ...
dominates the Agnus Dei. The text is repeated three times, always with chromatic melodies and harmonic reversals, going from D minor to F major, C major, and finally B major. According to the
musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...
Simon P. Keefe, Süssmayr likely referenced one of Mozart's earlier Masses, Mass in C major, K. 220 "Sparrow" in completing this movement.


VIII. Communio

Süssmayr here reuses Mozart's first two movements, almost exactly note for note, with wording corresponding to this part of the liturgy.


Liturgical lyrics


I. Introitus

Requiem aeternam: ::''Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,'' ::''et lux perpetua luceat eis.'' ::''Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,'' ::''et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.'' ::''Exaudi orationem meam,'' ::''ad te omnis caro veniet.'' ::''Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,'' ::''et lux perpetua luceat eis.'' :::Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, :::and let perpetual light shine upon them. :::A hymn, O God, becometh Thee in Zion; :::and a vow shall be paid to Thee in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
: :::hear my prayer; :::all flesh shall come to Thee. :::Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, :::and let perpetual light shine upon them.


II. Kyrie

Kyrie eleison: ::''Kyrie, eleison.'' ::''Christe, eleison.'' ::''Kyrie, eleison.'' :::Lord, have mercy on us. :::Christ, have mercy on us. :::Lord, have mercy on us.


III. Sequentia

Dies irae: ::''Dies irae, dies illa'' ::''Solvet saeclum in favilla,'' ::''teste David cum Sibylla.'' ::''Quantus tremor est futurus,'' ::''quando judex est venturus,'' ::''cuncta stricte discussurus!'' :::Day of wrath, day of anger :::will dissolve the world in ashes, :::as foretold by David and the Sibyl. :::Great trembling there will be :::when the Judge descends from heaven :::to examine all things closely! Tuba mirum: ::Tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulcra regionum, ::coget omnes ante thronum. ::Mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura, ::judicanti responsura. ::Liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur, ::unde mundus judicetur. ::Judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet, apparebit, ::nil inultum remanebit. ::Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? ::quem patronum rogaturus, ::cum vix justus sit securus? :::The trumpet will send its wondrous sound throughout earth's sepulchres :::and gather all before the throne. :::Death and nature will be astounded, when all creation rises again, :::to answer the judgement. :::A book will be brought forth, in which all will be written, :::by which the world will be judged. :::When the judge takes his place, what is hidden will be revealed, :::nothing will remain unavenged. :::What shall a wretch like me say? :::Who shall intercede for me, :::when the just ones need mercy? Rex tremendae: ::''Rex tremendae majestatis,'' ::''qui salvandos salvas gratis,'' ::''salve me, fons pietatis.'' :::King of tremendous majesty, :::who freely saves those worthy ones, :::save me, source of mercy. Recordare: ::''Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae;'' ::''ne me perdas illa die.'' ::''Quaerens me, sedisti lassus,'' ::''redemisti crucem passus; tantus labor non sit cassus.'' ::''Juste judex ultionis,'' ::''bonum fac remissionis ante diem rationis.'' ::''Ingemisco, tamquam reus:'' ::''culpa rubet vultus meus; supplicanti parce, Deus.'' ::''Qui Mariam absolvisti, et latronem exaudisti,'' ::''mihi quoque spem dedisti.'' ::''Preces meae non sunt dignae, sed tu,'' ::''bonus, fac benigne, ne perenni cremer igne.'' ::''Inter oves locum praesta,'' ::''Et ab haedis me sequestra,'' ::''Statuens in parte dextra.'' :::Remember, kind Jesus, my salvation caused your suffering; :::do not forsake me on that day. :::Faint and weary you have sought me, :::redeemed me, suffering on the cross; may such great effort not be in vain. :::Righteous judge of vengeance, :::grant me the gift of absolution before the day of retribution. :::I moan as one who is guilty: :::owning my shame with a red face; suppliant before you, Lord. :::You, who absolved Mary, and listened to the thief, :::give me hope also. :::My prayers are unworthy, but, :::good Lord, have mercy, and rescue me from eternal fire. :::Provide me a place among the sheep, :::and separate me from the goats, :::guiding me to Your right hand. Confutatis: ::''Confutatis maledictis,'' ::''flammis acribus addictis,'' ::''voca me cum benedictis.'' ::''Oro supplex et acclinis,'' ::''cor contritum quasi cinis,'' ::''gere curam mei finis.'' :::When the accused are confounded, :::and doomed to flames of woe, :::call me among the blessed. :::I kneel with submissive heart, :::my contrition is like ashes, :::help me in my final condition. Lacrimosa: ::''Lacrimosa dies illa,'' ::''qua resurget ex favilla judicandus homo reus.'' ::''Huic ergo parce, Deus, pie Jesu Domine,'' ::''dona eis requiem.'' ::''Amen.'' :::That day of tears and mourning, :::when from the ashes shall arise, all humanity to be judged. :::Spare us by your mercy, Lord, gentle Lord Jesus, :::grant them eternal rest. :::Amen.


IV. Offertorium

Domine Jesu: ::''Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae,'' ::''libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni'' ::''et de profundo lacu.'' ::''Libera eas de ore leonis,'' ::''ne absorbeat eas Tartarus,'' ::''ne cadant in obscurum.'' ::''Sed signifer Sanctus Michael, '' ::''repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam.'' ::''Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.'' :::Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, :::Liberate the souls of the faithful departed from the pains of hell :::and from the bottomless pit. :::Deliver them from the lion's mouth, :::lest hell swallow them up :::lest they fall into darkness. :::Let the standard-bearer, holy Michael, :::bring them into holy light. :::Which was promised to Abraham and his descendants. Hostias: ::''Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus.'' ::''Tu suscipe pro animabus illis,'' ::''quarum hodie memoriam facimus. Fac eas, Domine,'' ::''de morte transire ad vitam,'' ::''Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.'' :::Sacrifices and prayers of praise, Lord, we offer to You. :::Receive them in behalf of those souls :::we commemorate today. And let them, Lord, :::pass from death to life, :::which was promised to Abraham and his descendants.


V. Sanctus

Sanctus: ::''Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus'' ::''Dominus Deus Sabaoth!'' ::''Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua'' ::''Hosanna in excelsis!'' :::Holy, holy, holy, :::Lord God of Hosts. :::Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. :::Hosanna in the highest.


VI. Benedictus

Benedictus: ::''Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.'' ::''Hosanna in excelsis!'' :::Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord. :::Hosanna in the highest.


VII. Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei: ::''Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi,'' ::''dona eis requiem.'' ::''Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi,'' ::''dona eis requiem sempiternam.'' :::Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, :::grant them rest. :::Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, :::grant them everlasting rest.


VIII. Communio

Lux aeterna: ::''Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine,'' ::''cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.'' ::''Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,'' ::''et Lux perpetua luceat eis,'' ::''cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.'' :::Let eternal light shine on them, Lord, :::as with Your saints in eternity, because You are merciful. :::Grant them eternal rest, Lord, :::and let perpetual light shine on them, :::as with Your saints in eternity, because You are merciful.


History


Composition

At the time of Mozart's death on 5 December 1791, only the first movement, Introitus (Requiem aeternam) was completed in all of the orchestral and vocal parts. The Kyrie, Sequence and Offertorium were completed in skeleton, with the exception of the Lacrymosa, which breaks off after the first eight bars. The vocal parts and continuo were fully notated. Occasionally, some of the prominent orchestral parts were briefly indicated, such as the first violin part of the Rex tremendae and Confutatis, the musical bridges in the Recordare, and the trombone solos of the Tuba Mirum. What remained to be completed for these sections were mostly accompanimental figures, inner harmonies, and orchestral doublings to the vocal parts.


Completion by Mozart's contemporaries

The eccentric count Franz von Walsegg commissioned the Requiem from Mozart anonymously through intermediaries. The count, an amateur chamber musician who routinely commissioned works by composers and passed them off as his own, wanted a Requiem Mass he could claim he composed to memorialize the recent passing of his wife. Mozart received only half of the payment in advance, so upon his death his widow Constanze was keen to have the work completed secretly by someone else, submit it to the count as having been completed by Mozart and collect the final payment. Joseph von Eybler was one of the first composers to be asked to complete the score. He worked on the movements from the Kyrie up until the Lacrymosa, carefully adding his additions to the incomplete manuscript while mimicking Mozart's handwriting. In addition, a striking similarity between the openings of the Domine Jesu Christe movements in the requiems of the two composers suggests that Eybler at least looked at later sections. After this work, he felt unable to complete the remainder and gave the manuscript back to Constanze Mozart. The task was then given to another composer, Franz Xaver Süssmayr. Süssmayr added his own orchestration to the movements from the Kyrie onward, completed the Lacrymosa, and added several new movements which a Requiem would normally comprise: Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. He then added a final section, Lux aeterna by adapting the opening two movements which Mozart had written to the different words which finish the Requiem Mass, which according to both Süssmayr and Mozart's wife was done according to Mozart's directions. Some people consider it unlikely, however, that Mozart would have repeated the opening two sections if he had survived to finish the work. Other composers may have helped Süssmayr. The Agnus Dei is suspected by some scholars to have been based on instruction or sketches from Mozart because of its similarity to a section from the Gloria of a previous Mass ('' Sparrow Mass'', K. 220) by Mozart, as was first pointed out by Richard Maunder. Others have pointed out that at the beginning of the Agnus Dei, the choral bass quotes the main theme from the Introitus. Many of the arguments dealing with this matter, though, center on the perception that if part of the work is of high quality, it must have been written by Mozart (or from sketches), and if part of the work contains errors and faults, it must have been all Süssmayr's doing. Another controversy is the suggestion (originating from a letter written by Constanze) that Mozart left explicit instructions for the completion of the Requiem on "a few scraps of paper with music on them... found on Mozart's desk after his death." The extent to which Süssmayr's work may have been influenced by these "scraps", if they existed at all, remains a subject of speculation amongst musicologists to this day. The completed score, started by Mozart but largely finished by Eybler and Süssmayr, was then dispatched to Count Walsegg complete with a counterfeited signature of Mozart and dated 1792. The various complete and incomplete manuscripts eventually turned up in the 19th century, but many of the figures involved left ambiguous statements on record as to how they were involved in the affair. Despite the controversy over how much of the music is actually Mozart's, the commonly performed Süssmayr version has become widely accepted by the public. This acceptance is quite strong, even when alternative completions provide logical and compelling solutions for the work.


Promotion by Constanze Mozart

The confusion surrounding the circumstances of the Requiem's composition was created in large part by Mozart's wife, Constanze. Constanze had a difficult task: she had to keep secret the fact that the Requiem was unfinished at Mozart's death, so she could collect the final payment from the commission. For a period of time, she also needed to keep secret that Süssmayr had anything to do with the composition of the Requiem, to allow Count Walsegg the impression that Mozart wrote the work entirely himself. Once she received the commission, she needed to carefully promote the work as Mozart's so she could continue to receive revenue from its publication and performance. During this phase of the Requiem's history, it was still important that the public accept that Mozart wrote the whole piece, as it would fetch larger sums from publishers and the public if it were completely by Mozart. It is Constanze's efforts that created the half-truths and myths after Mozart's death. According to Constanze, Mozart declared that he was composing the Requiem for himself and that he had been poisoned. His symptoms worsened, and he began to complain about the painful swelling of his body and high fever. Nevertheless, Mozart continued his work on the Requiem, and even on the last day of his life, he was explaining to his assistant how he intended to finish the Requiem. With deception surrounding the Requiem's completion, a natural outcome is the mythologizing which occurred. One series of myths surrounding the Requiem involves the role
Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian composer and teacher of the classical period (music), classical period. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subje ...
played in commissioning and completion of the Requiem (and in Mozart's death generally). While a retelling of this myth is Peter Shaffer's play '' Amadeus'' and the
movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
made from it, it is important to note that the source of misinformation was actually a 19th-century play by
Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...
, '' Mozart and Salieri'', which was turned into an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov and subsequently used as the framework for the play ''Amadeus''.


Conflicting accounts

Source materials written soon after Mozart's death contain serious discrepancies, which leave a level of subjectivity when assembling the "facts" about Mozart's composition of the Requiem. For example, at least three of the conflicting sources, all dated within two decades following Mozart's death, cite Constanze as their primary source of interview information.


Friedrich Rochlitz

In 1798, Friedrich Rochlitz, a German biographical author and amateur composer, published a set of Mozart anecdotes that he claimed to have collected during his meeting with Constanze in 1796. The Rochlitz publication makes the following statements: * Mozart was unaware of his commissioner's identity at the time he accepted the project. * He was not bound to any date of completion of the work. * He stated that it would take him around four weeks to complete. * He requested, and received, 100 ducats at the time of the first commissioning message. * He began the project immediately after receiving the commission. * His health was poor from the outset; he fainted multiple times while working. * He took a break from writing the work to visit the Prater with his wife. * He shared the thought with his wife that he was writing this piece for his own funeral. * He spoke of "very strange thoughts" regarding the unpredicted appearance and commission of this unknown man. * He noted that the departure of Leopold II to Prague for the coronation was approaching. The most highly disputed of these claims is the last one, the chronology of this setting. According to Rochlitz, the messenger arrives quite some time before the departure of Leopold for the coronation, yet there is a record of his departure occurring in mid-July 1791. However, as Constanze was in
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...
during all of June to mid-July, she would not have been present for the commission or the drive they were said to have taken together. Furthermore, '' The Magic Flute'' (except for the Overture and March of the Priests) was completed by mid-July. '' La clemenza di Tito'' was commissioned by mid-July. There was no time for Mozart to work on the Requiem on the large scale indicated by the Rochlitz publication in the time frame provided.


Franz Xaver Niemetschek

Also in 1798, Constanze is noted to have given another interview to Franz Xaver Niemetschek, another biographer looking to publish a
compendium A compendium ( compendia or compendiums) is a comprehensive collection of information and analysis pertaining to a body of knowledge. A compendium may concisely summarize a larger work. In most cases, the body of knowledge will concern a specific ...
of Mozart's life. He published his biography in 1808, containing a number of claims about Mozart's receipt of the Requiem commission: * Mozart received the commission very shortly before the Coronation of Emperor Leopold II and before he received the commission to go to Prague. * He did not accept the messenger's request immediately; he wrote the commissioner and agreed to the project stating his fee but urging that he could not predict the time required to complete the work. * The same messenger appeared later, paying Mozart the sum requested plus a note promising a bonus at the work's completion. * He started composing the work upon his return from Prague. * He fell ill while writing the work * He told Constanze "I am only too conscious... my end will not be long in coming: for sure, someone has poisoned me! I cannot rid my mind of this thought." * Constanze thought that the Requiem was overstraining him; she called the doctor and took away the score. * On the day of his death, he had the score brought to his bed. * The messenger took the unfinished Requiem soon after Mozart's death. * Constanze never learned the commissioner's name. This account, too, has fallen under scrutiny and criticism of its accuracy. According to letters, Constanze most certainly knew the name of the commissioner by the time this interview was released in 1800. Additionally, the Requiem was not given to the messenger until some time after Mozart's death. This interview contains the only account from Constanze herself of the claim that she took the Requiem away from Wolfgang for a significant duration during his composition of it. Otherwise, the timeline provided in this account is historically probable.


Georg Nikolaus von Nissen

However, the most highly accepted text attributed to Constanze is the interview to her second husband, Georg Nikolaus von Nissen. After Nissen's death in 1826, Constanze released the biography of Wolfgang (1828) that Nissen had compiled, which included this interview. Nissen states: * Mozart received the commission shortly before the coronation of Emperor Leopold and before he received the commission to go to Prague. * He did not accept the messenger's request immediately; he wrote the commissioner and agreed to the project stating his fee but urging that he could not predict the time required to complete the work. * The same messenger appeared later, paying Mozart the sum requested plus a note promising a bonus at the work's completion. * He started composing the work upon his return from Prague. The Nissen publication lacks information following Mozart's return from Prague.


Influences

Mozart esteemed Handel and in 1789 he was commissioned by Baron Gottfried van Swieten to rearrange ''
Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...
'' ( HWV 56). This work likely influenced the composition of Mozart's Requiem; the Kyrie is based on the " And with His stripes we are healed" chorus from Handel's ''Messiah'', since the subject of the fugato is the same with only slight variations by adding ornaments on melismata. However, the same four-note theme is also found in the finale of
Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
's String Quartet in F minor (Op. 20 No. 5) and in the first measure of the A minor fugue from Bach's '' Well-Tempered Clavier'' Book 2 (BWV 889b) as part of the subject of Bach's fugue, and it is thought that Mozart transcribed some of the fugues of the ''Well-Tempered Clavier'' for string ensemble (K. 404a Nos. 1–3 and K. 405 Nos. 1–5), but the attribution of these transcriptions to Mozart is not certain. Some musicologists believe that the Introitus was inspired by Handel's '' Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline'', HWV 264. Another influence was
Michael Haydn Johann Michael Haydn (; 14 September 1737 – 10 August 1806) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period, the younger brother of Joseph Haydn. Life Michael Haydn was born in 1737 in the Austrian village of Rohra ...
's Requiem in C minor; Mozart and his father were viola and violin players respectively at its first three performances in January 1772. Some have noted that Michael Haydn's Introitus sounds rather similar to Mozart's, and the theme for Mozart's "Quam olim Abrahae" fugue is a direct quote of the fugue theme from Haydn's Offertorium and Versus from his aforementioned requiem. In Introitus m. 21, the soprano sings "Te decet hymnus Deus in Zion". It is quoting the Lutheran hymn "". The melody is used by many composers e.g. in Bach's cantata ''Meine Seel erhebt den Herren'', BWV 10 but also in Michael Haydn's Requiem.
Felicia Hemans Felicia Dorothea Hemans (25 September 1793 – 16 May 1835) was an English poet (who identified as Welsh by adoption). Regarded as the leading female poet of her day, Hemans was immensely popular during her lifetime in both England and the Unit ...
' poem "Mozart's Requiem" was first published in '' The New Monthly Magazine'' in 1828.


Timeline


Modern completions

Since the 1970s several composers and musicologists, dissatisfied with the traditional "Süssmayr" completion, have attempted alternative completions of the Requiem.


The "Amen" fugue

In the 1960s, a sketch for an Amen
Fugue In classical music, a fugue (, from Latin ''fuga'', meaning "flight" or "escape""Fugue, ''n''." ''The Concise Oxford English Dictionary'', eleventh edition, revised, ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson (Oxford and New York: Oxford Universit ...
was discovered, which some musicologists ( Levin, Maunder) believe belongs to the Requiem at the conclusion of the
sequence In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is cal ...
after the Lacrymosa. H. C. Robbins Landon argues that this Amen Fugue was not intended for the Requiem, rather that it "may have been for a separate unfinished mass in D minor" to which the Kyrie K. 341 also belonged. There is, however, compelling evidence placing the Amen Fugue in the Requiem based on current Mozart scholarship. First, the principal subject is the main theme of the Requiem (stated at the beginning, and throughout the work) in strict inversion. Second, it is found on the same page as a sketch for the Rex tremendae (together with a sketch for the overture of his last opera '' The Magic Flute''), and thus surely dates from late 1791. The only place where the word 'Amen' occurs in anything that Mozart wrote in late 1791 is in the sequence of the Requiem. Third, as Levin points out in the foreword to his completion of the Requiem, the addition of the Amen Fugue at the end of the sequence results in an overall design that ends each large section with a fugue.


Autograph at the 1958 World's Fair

The autograph of the Requiem was placed on display at the World's Fair in 1958 in Brussels. At some point during the fair, someone was able to gain access to the manuscript, tearing off the bottom right-hand corner of the second to last page (folio 99r/45r), containing the words "Quam olim d: C:" (an instruction that the "Quam olim" fugue of the ''Domine Jesu'' was to be repeated
da capo Da capo ( , , ; often abbreviated as D.C.) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is an easie ...
, at the end of the Hostias). The perpetrator has not been identified, and the fragment has not been recovered.Facsimile of the manuscript's last page, showing the missing corner
If the most common authorship theory is true, then "Quam olim d: C:" were the last words Mozart wrote before he died.


Recordings


Arrangements

The Requiem and its individual movements have been repeatedly arranged for various instruments. The keyboard arrangements notably demonstrate the variety of approaches taken to translating the Requiem, particularly the Confutatis and Lacrymosa movements, in order to balance preserving the Requiem's character while also being physically playable. Karl Klindworth's piano solo (c.1900), Muzio Clementi's organ solo, and Renaud de Vilbac's harmonium solo (c.1875) are liberal in their approach to achieve this. In contrast, Carl Czerny wrote his piano transcription for two players, enabling him to retain the extent of the score, if sacrificing timbral character.
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
's piano solo (c.1865) departs the most in terms of fidelity and character of the Requiem, through its inclusion of composition devices used to showcase pianistic technique.


References


Cited sources

* *


Further reading

* * * *


External links

* * * *
Article on the Requiem
at
h2g2 The h2g2 website is a British-based collaborative online encyclopedia project. It describes itself as "an unconventional guide to life, the universe, and everything", in the spirit of the fictional publication ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the ...
* Michael Lorenz
"Freystädtler's Supposed Copying in the Autograph of K. 626: A Case of Mistaken Identity", Vienna 2013

Mozart's Requiem
new completion of the score by musicologist Robert D. Levin, live concert {{authority control Masses by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
1791 compositions Compositions in D minor Unfinished musical compositions Musical compositions completed by others Compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart published posthumously