Life in Shades of F-Major: Dies Irae: Day of Wrath from Mozart's Requiem

Dies Irae: Day of Wrath from Mozart's Requiem

>> Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791, during the last year of the composer's life. The requiem was Mozart's last composition and is one of his most popular and respected works, although the question of how much of the music Mozart managed to complete before his death and how much was later composed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr or others is still debated.

The Requiem is scored for 2 basset-horns in F, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in D, 3 trombones (alto, tenor & bass), timpani (2 drums), violins, viola and basso continuo (cello, double bass, and organ or harpsichord). The vocal forces include soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists and an SATB mixed chorus.

2 comments:

Unknown October 14, 2009 at 6:58 AM: Hi Lynette,

Lovely to see you at the Manor yesterday with Herr Mozart. Clearly, this is a timely reminder to make the most of life!
Kathy Handyside October 15, 2009 at 11:11 PM: Such power! Just listening to it can be exhausting; composing it had to have been even more so! It's so beautiful and dreadful at the same time.

I can't imagine having a funeral service like this. Or were they mainly for the funerals of nobility? If I were grieving, I'm not sure I'd derive much comfort from the traditional Requiem mass.