Mozart died at age 35 in December 1791, leaving the Requiem incomplete, possibly due to lack of time or apprehension about writing his own funeral mass.
Compositional Technique
Mozart used D minor, the key of the 'Dies Irae' in the Requiem, to signify tragic moments in his works, such as the death of Don Giovanni.
Composition History
Mozart's Requiem was commissioned by Count Walsegg's steward, who requested a mass for the dead in memory of the Count's deceased wife.
Cultural Impact
Miloš Forman's famous film Amadeus includes a fictional scene where Mozart, feeling his end approaching, dictates the 'Confutatis' from his Requiem to Salieri.
Compositional Technique
The 'Lacrimosa' movement, one of the most beautiful lamentations, was left unfinished by Mozart, with only the first eight bars and a sketch of the soprano part completed.
Composition History
The Requiem was completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr, one of Mozart's pupils, who knew his style well and was aided by Mozart's last-minute instructions and notes from his widow, Constanze.
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Mozart: Requiem, K. 626
Haydn, F.J.: Mass No. 3, "Cacilienmesse"
Haydn: Mass No. 2 in F Major, "Missa Brevis" / Mass No. 3 in C Major, "Missa Cellensis"
