Mozart S Requiem

"'When was the score of the Requiem completed?' is a question that everyone has asked; . . .but Wolff goes on to ask: 'Where do the technical and stylistic premises for the Requiem lie, and to what extent could these be taken into account after Mozart's death?' This question is rich in implications, central to the uniqueness of the work, and virtually undiscussed in the Mozart literature."—Thomas Bauman, co-author of Mozart's Operas

"'When was the score of the Requiem completed?' is a question that everyone has asked; . . .but Wolff goes on to ask: 'Where do the technical and stylistic premises for the Requiem lie, and to what extent could these be taken into account after Mozart's death?' This question is rich in implications, central to the uniqueness of the work, and virtually undiscussed in the Mozart literature."--Thomas Bauman, co-author of Mozart's Operas

This volume contains the authentic score of the Requiem, supplemented by crucial fragments from Suessamayr's 1792 Requiem completion, plus a critical introduction to the work which attempts to untangle its genesis and structure. Christoph Wolff surveys Suessamayr's contribution, and provides a musical analysis of Mozart's composition, including contextual, structural and interpretative aspects. This is followed by an annotated collection of the principal literary documents (1791-1839) that illuminate the puzzling early history of the work.

A fresh evaluation of Mozart's Requiem which focuses on historical and current understandings in fiction, drama, film, criticism and performance.

Mozart showed amazing talent from early in childhood. Already competent on the keyboard and violin, he started composing from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, he was enlisted as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless of this and decided to travel in search of a better position, always composing abundantly. The Requièm Mass in D minor was composed in Vienna in 1791 and was left unfinished when Mozart died on December 5th 1791. A completion dated 1792 by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem mass to commemorate the February 14th anniversary of his wife's death. A facsimile sheet of music from the Dies Irae movement of the "Requiem Mass in D Minor" (K. 626) in Mozart's own handwriting. It is located at the Mozarthaus in Vienna.

SATB soli, SATB Chorus / Piano ISMN: 979-0-800001-14-7

When Mozart died in 1791, he left unfinished the score of his Requiem. At the request of his widow, the work was completed by Mozart's pupil and assistant, Franz Xaver Süssmayr. Unfortunately, Süssmayr was a musician of limited technique and ability--his poor orchestration has frequently been criticized, and considerable controversy has surrounded the question of whether the movements missing from Mozart's autograph were entirely Süssmayr's work, or whether he might have based them on Mozart's sketches or oral instructions. This book is an intensive new study of the background to the Requiem and the music itself. Maunder, who after many years' research has recently completed a new edition of the Requiem that attempts to be more faithful to Mozart's original intentions, presents detailed arguments concerning the authenticity of the doubtful movements, the editorial decisions he faced in preparing the new edition, the settings by other composers that may have influenced Mozart, and the problems of performance practice. He concludes that Süssmayr probably did write the disputed movements, but may have used a now-lost Mozart sketch in composing the Agnus Dei. This fascinating new study of one of classical music's best-loved works will interest a wide range of music students and scholars, and general readers.