Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Requiem (Mozart)

The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, is a Requiem Mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791). Mozart composed part of the Requiem in Vienna in late 1791, but it was unfinished at his death on 5 December

Instrumentation#

The Requiem is scored for two basset horns in F, two bassoons, two trumpets in D, three trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (two drums), violins, viola, and basso continuo (cello, double bass, and organ). The basset horn parts are sometimes played on conventional B♭ or A clarinets and sometimes the related alto clarinet, even though this changes the sonority. The vocal forces consist of soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass soloists and an SATB mixed choir.

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 (S), alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B) in bold and four-part choir SATB), tempo, key, and meter. :

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 modelled after Handel’s opening chorus “The ways of Zion do mourn” from his 1737 Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264. Many parts of the work make reference to this passage, notably in the coloratura in the Kyrie fugue 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 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 on the dominant.

II. Kyrie#

The Kyrie follows without pause (attacca). It is a double fugue on a cruciform melody (connecting two of the theme’s four notes shows a cross), as many composers used including Bach, Handel, and Haydn. The counter-subject comes from the final chorus of Handel’s Dettingen Anthem, HWV 265. The first three measures of the basses (theme) and altos (countersubject) 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 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.

a. Dies irae#

The sequence Dies irae (“Day of Wrath”) is a strophic hymn, which Mozart sets in six sections. The first verse 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, 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 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), 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’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#

The Recordare (“Remember merciful Jesus”) is a prayer not to be forgotten on the last day. At 130 measures, it is the work’s longest movement, as well as the first in triple meter (); 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, 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 (“When the accursed have been confounded, summon me with the blessed”) begins with a rhythmic and dynamic sequence of strong contrasts and surprising harmonic turns. Accompanied by the basso continuo, 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 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 (“That tearful day”). Then, after two measures, the sopranos begin a diatonic 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 was 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.

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 (" Deliver them from 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 the 1958 Expo 58 world’s fair in Brussels by an unknown thief.

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 on Hosanna in excelsis (“Glory to God in the highest”), noted for its syncopated rhythm, and for its motivic similarity to the Quam olim Abrahae fugue.

VI. Benedictus#

The Benedictus, a quartet, adopts the key of the submediant, B major (which can also be considered the relative of the subdominant 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 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 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.

I. Introitus#

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: hear my prayer; all flesh shall come to Thee. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart