Hey! This post is a bit off topic, this is not related with architecture but I wrote this paper for my music history class and I wanted to share it with you too. Here is some information about Mozart’s life and his great unfinished work Requiem.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791), full name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a composer of the Classical period. He was born in Salzburg. His father Leopold was his teacher and he started to compose at the age of 5, he wrote his first symphony at 8. Between the years 1762 and 1773, he was traveling with his family and performing with his sister Nannerl in child prodigies. During his trips, Mozart met lots of important musicians including Johann Christian Bach. In Milan, in 1770 he wrote the opera Mitridate, re di Ponto and this led to further opera commissions. He was employed at Salzburg court between the years 1773-1777. He worked in many genres including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, masses, serenades, and also a few minor operas but he resigned in 1777 because of the bad work conditions. When he visited Vienna in 1781, he chooses to stay in Vienna where he spent his last years. He was married in Vienna to Constanze in 1782.
Vienna was the city where he composed his most well-known symphonies, concertos, and operas. Requiem was funeral music which is also composed at that time. He started to compose Requiem in Vienna in 1791, but he died on 5 December and left Requiem unfinished. When he died, only two parts of the composition were complete; the Introtious and the Kyrie. In 1792, a completed version is produced by Franz Xaver Süssmayr. The requiem was commissioned by Franz von Walsegg for his wife’s anniversary. After Sussmayr delivered the requiem to Walsegg, he was probably intended to pass the piece to himself as his composition but he was stopped by Mozart’s wife Constanze. She arranged a public concert to made Requiem performed. There are claims for Requiem such as Mozart get the commission from a mysterious messenger and wrote the requiem for his funeral. The claims probably belong to Constanze. Mozart died without finishing the Requiem but in his 35 years short life, he composed more than 600 works including symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and also choral music.
The Requiem belongs to the Classical period. The period refers to a period between 1750-1830. It comes after the Baroque period. The music of the period is less complex and more natural than Baroque music. It has a clearer texture and less ornamentation. Sonata form was the main structure of the movements. The textures were mainly homophonic with choral accompaniment. The orchestra increased in size and range. Piano replaced the harpsichord and now, the basso continuo was not commonly used as before. Now, the composers are also composed for concerts, not just for court or church. Now music belongs to the public too; and to make it so, music is more understandable, natural, and clear. The most important composers of the era were Mozart and Haydn. Mozart is considered an innovative classical composer because he experimented in all genres.
Mozart’s one of the most important piece, Requiem, is a mass for death. The word ‘Mass’ comes from history, it is the final blessing said by the priest. The mass is a piece of music which is made to be sung by a choir. A mass is one of the central elements of catholic worship, so it is one of the most important religious services. So obviously, Requiem is a piece of religious music. It was also an important musical form for the Classical period composers. There are two kinds of masses; the Ordinary and the Proper. Ordinary consists of the sections that have unchanging texts. The Ordinary consists of five sections; Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Another kind is the Proper and it has changing texts for the specific day. The Proper consists of the Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Tract Offertory, and Communion. A Requiem mostly combines the sections from both Ordinary and Proper. It commonly uses Introit, Kyrie, Gradual, Tract, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Communion. The sections are variable according to the composer. The sections of Mozart’s Requiem are Introitus, Kyrie, Sequentia, Offertorium, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Communio. The Sequence has 6 movements named Dies Irae, Tuba Mirum, Rex Tremendae Majestatis, Recordare, Confutatis Maledictis, and Lacrymosa. Also, the Offertorium part has 2 movements; Domine Jesu and Hostias.
The Requiem was first published in July 1800 and since then; it is an important piece of choral repertoire. The symphony deserves its name; the music is full of tension. While the music of the Classical Period often has homophonic texture, a primary melody accompanied by other voices, through the end of his life, Mozart assimilated polyphonic texture into his works. It is possible to hear that polyphony in Requiem too. The main concern of the music was to express emotions, and Mozart tries to do that in his Requiem too. He makes changes in instrumentation and orchestration. Also, the tone color helps him to highlight dramatic changes in emotions.
The instruments used in Requiem were a bit different at that time. There aren’t any flutes or oboes used. There are basset horns instead of clarinets. Other instruments used are 2 bassoons, 3 trombones, 2 trumpets, an organ, and timps. The trumpets are mainly used for lower and middle notes. There are no horns. But in the piece, the instrumental element was kept at the minimum; the main substance of the work was the voices. His aim was probably to write a piece that takes the voices in the center.
The first part, Introitus begins with an interesting opening. With the bass line and string chords, a lonely bassoon enters and it is being followed by a basset horn. The opening music makes us feel the death; the music makes us feel terrified, sad, and alone. In the Introitus part, an ancient Gregorian chant melody is also used with a soprano soloist. Then chorus enters and repeats the Gregorian chant theme with the soprano section. While listening, it is possible to feel the gradually rising tension and dark, horrifying feelings in the music.
Kyrie Eleison part is an emotionally powerful fugue. Here, there are two principal themes that Mozart uses and ups and downs in the intensity.
The next six movements belong to the part called ‘Sequence’. The first part of the Sequence is, Dies Irae. It is the part that describes the Day of Wrath. The tension of the music makes people feel the doom of the scenes described.
Then comes the Tuba Mirum. This part is a virtual opera scene with four vocal characters. This part is a great quartet. It begins with a very famous trombone solo, then the bass soloist enters in a very serious manner. After that, the tenor enters. In here, there is a passionate request for mercy. Then the third one, alto comes with a piece of more stoic music, and finally, the soprano enters with glowing humanity of hope. When the quartet is completed, they sing together and the movement ends with the feeling of hope for peace.
The next movement Rex Tremendae Majestasis is also an operatic scene like the former movement Tuba Mirum. In here, the Rex means the king and the movement starts with a call from the chorus to that king. After the part by the chorus, winds, trombones, trumpets, and timpani, a more lyric section follows. In one part, all of them come to a climax, and then everything changes, a piano comes with choir pleads.
The following Recordare contains lots of contrasting emotions blended perfectly. The contrasting sections follow each other fluently and as a result of that, the piece evokes serenity.
Confutatis Maledictis is an operatic part again. Here we see the ostinato of the strings and the tenors, basses contrasting with it. The music starts with high tension and it slowly gets lower makes us think that the section is over, but after a pause, an unexpected chord with strings comes in again and continues the story.
The next movement, Lacrymosa means ‘the day of weeping’. The weeping here is depicted with piano and violins, violas. Then the chorus comes and it gradually gets higher. The first eight measures were by Mozart but the rest of the movement was completed by Sussmayr. So the ending of the Lacrymosa, which means the end of the six movements of the Sequence section, is written by Süssmayr.
The next two movements, Domine Jesu and Hostias belong to the Offertory part. The first movement Domine Jesu contains quick contrasts. The following Hostias has an impressive melody sing by the chorus against the string accompaniment. The Hostias is more calm and simple compared to Domine Jesu and this creates an impressive contrast.
The final three movements which are Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Communio are estimated to belong to Süssmayr. There are of course people who criticize those parts but some musicians think that the parts that Süssmayr produced are also magnificent and they perfectly match with the parts that Mozart himself produced. The Requiem ends with a powerful final fugue which makes people feel that they come to the end of their human journey and make them think about mortality.
Sources
Boccara, A. (2017, November 25). Everything you always wanted to know about… Mozart’s Requiem.
Keene, D. (tarih yok). MOZART’S REQUIEM. Voices of Ascension: https://www.voicesofascension.org/program-notes-3 adresinden alınmıştır
Marco Sampaolo, T. E. (2007, October 11). Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/mass-music adresinden alınmıştır
McConnell, D. A. (2020, May 2020). Mozart – Requiem – A Beginners Guide. The Classic Review: https://theclassicreview.com/beginners-guides/mozart-requiem-a-beginners-guide/ adresinden alınmıştır
Sadie, S. (2020, December 1). Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart adresinden alınmıştır
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