Building a Collection #19: Mozart's Requiem

With recommended recordings

Building a Collection #19

Requiem in D Minor

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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We have now arrived at #19 on our Building a Collection list.  I hope you are enjoying our journey through some of the greatest pieces of music of all-time.  Our current subject is Mozart’s haunting Requiem, an iconic work which still carries a great deal of legend and myth around it.

It gives me some pause to highlight a requiem mass during the Holiday season, as it feels counter to the spirit of the season.  I made an agreement with myself to cover the top 250 classical works in order without deviating, but it still feels a bit odd.  On the other hand, it is precisely at this time of year when we are offered hope and joy even in the face of the realities of the human condition.  So perhaps Mozart’s Requiem can also offer us solace and hope.  

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The incomparable genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (born 1756 – died 1791) was an Austrian composer of opera, symphonic works, concertos, choral and vocal works, keyboard pieces, orchestral works, and chamber music.  Despite his short life, Mozart produced more than 800 works, and scholars say he likely composed even more that will never be known or recovered.  Mozart was the only son of a proud, infamous, and rather exploitative father by the name of Leopold Mozart.  When Leopold realized his son’s prodigious talent, he toured him all around Europe to show him off.  It is debated whether these trips contributed to Mozart’s chronic illnesses, as he had bouts of typhus and smallpox during childhood.  In any case, it seems to have left Mozart with a lot of resentment for his father.  Mozart would later boycott his own father’s funeral.  

Although Mozart was employed off and on by royalty beginning in 1782, he was essentially self-employed.  He married Constanze Weber in 1783 without his father’s approval.  Astonishingly, by the age of 20 Mozart had written nine operas, five violin concertos, at least 30 symphonies, sets of divertimentos and serenades, many liturgical works, six sonatas, and six concertos for piano.  Although Mozart had several teachers, including his father, he was increasingly influenced by Michael Haydn (the younger brother of legendary composer Franz Josef Haydn).  Between the years 1782 and 1786, Mozart produced a group of piano concertos from no. 12 to no. 25.  He would go on to write only two more piano concertos before his death.  His final five operas are generally considered his greatest:  Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni (Don Juan), Cosi Fan Tutte (All Women Act That Way), Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), and La Clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus).  His symphonic production reached its apex with his final four symphonies, nos. 38 – 41.  

Mozart’s Requiem

It is known that a mysterious benefactor commissioned Mozart to compose a Requiem Mass in July 1791.  If you are familiar with the Peter Shaffer stage play Amadeus from 1979, or Milos Forman’s acclaimed film adaptation of the same title from 1984, it is one of Mozart’s fellow contemporary composers, Antonio Salieri, who plays the mysterious visitor that commissions the Requiem.  We now know it was not Salieri, but was very likely Franz von Walsegg-Stuppach.  It is speculated that since it was known Mozart was quite ill at the time (likely with rheumatic fever, which was to cause his death), Walsegg probably intended to pass off the work as his own composition at a service for his wife who had died earlier in the year.  

In the summer of 1791, Mozart would have been busy with rehearsals for Die Zauberflöte and La Clemenza di Tito, and so wasn’t able to really work on the Requiem until the fall.  By that time his illness had slowed him down considerably.  Mozart’s health continued to decline, and when he died on December 5^th, 1791, the Requiem was not completed.  Mozart completed and orchestrated the Introit (Requiem Aeternam), and the vocal lines with accompaniment for the Kyrie, Dies Irae, Tuba Mirum, Rex Tremendae, Recordare, and Confutatis.  He was able to sketch some bars for the Lacrimosa and Offertorium.  It is possible some other parts were sketched out as well, but we don’t know since no other sketches survive.  

After he died, his widow Constanze communicated stories about how Mozart had dictated specific instructions the day before he died to his pupil Franz Süssmayr on how the work was to be completed.  Constanze later also reported how Mozart had received the commission from a mysterious messenger who did not reveal the identity of the commissioner.  She said that Mozart had come to believe that he was writing the requiem for his own funeral.  Since Constanze was now the widowed mother of two children, a public benefit concert was organized not long after Mozart’s death, and at the time the Requiem was presented as Mozart’s complete work.  She obviously did not have any motivation to point out which parts were not completed by her husband.  

Süssmayr completed his contribution within two months of Mozart’s death, and his version has become the standard version of the score.  However, several other composers have done their own “completions” since that time, including those by Franz Beyer, Richard Maunder, and Robert Levin.  However, it is the Süssmayr version that is most often heard and recorded.  The Requiem is divided into eight sections as follows:

1. Introitus    

   1. Requiem aeternam 

2. Kyrie

3. Sequentia

   1. Dies irae

   2. Tuba mirum

   3. Rex tremendae

   4. Recordare

   5. Confutatis

   6. Lacrymosa

4. Offertorium

   1. Domine Jesu

   2. Hostias

5. Sanctus

6. Benedictus

7. Agnus Dei

8. Communio

   1. Lux aeterna

   2. Cum sanctis tuis

Süssmayr later claimed the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei were his own.  If you listen carefully, you can notice a difference in style and mood beginning with the Sanctus.  All sections from the Sanctus to the end are not in Mozart’s manuscript.  Each section is ended with a fugue (a fugue is a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts), except at the end of the Lacrymosa.  Mozart did write an “Amen” fugue, but some scholars insist it was written for a different piece.  Others have argued for including it at the end of the Lacrymosa.  

Mozart’s Requiem has always been held in high esteem, and its iconic status has only increased through the centuries.  The piece begins with dark, somber, and foreboding tones; it is the vocal writing that drives the score.  The orchestra accompanies the vocal line with darker themes that are often very vivid and memorable.  For example, the trombone in the Tuba Mirum, the fiery bass string accompaniment to the Confutatis, and the sighing phrases in the Lacrymosa give the listener cues to the meaning in the text.

Turning back for a moment to the play and movie Amadeus, its creator Peter Schaffer fully admitted to his story not being an accurate biographical picture of the musical genius.  It is a work of fiction.  Some aspects of Mozart’s character and personality were apparently portrayed accurately, such as his juvenile sense of humor, his crassness, and his enjoyment of dancing and drinking.  However, Schaffer’s portrayal of Salieri, while interesting, is not accurate.  The story concocted around Salieri’s jealousy at Mozart’s genius has little basis in fact.  They certainly knew each other, and there was some rivalry between the two for certain positions, but Schaffer greatly stretches the truth.  In any case, it is an entertaining story.

Top recording recommendation for Mozart’s Requiem

My top recommendation for Mozart’s Requiem on record is by the Dunedin Consort led by John Butt in a recording made in 2013 by Linn Records.  The Dunedin Consort is a Scottish baroque ensemble formed in 1995, and based in Edinburgh.  They perform on period instruments, and often use smaller than usual choral forces (in this recording only 16 voices).  One of their main goals is to recreate music from the Baroque and Classical periods as it was originally intended to be performed.  That is one of the hallmarks of their recording of Mozart’s Requiem, as they use scholar David Black’s latest edition of Sussmayr’s completion.  Thus the Dunedin Consort claims to be performing the piece as it was originally performed.  

I believe this is the finest recording of Mozart’s Requiem regardless of whether it recreates the original performance.  The recording won the Gramophone magazine 2014 recording of the year in the choral category, and was also nominated for a Grammy award.  First, the sound is top notch from Linn Records with a realistic yet intimate acoustic picture.  Second, the soloists range from very good to outstanding.  There is an emphasis on tonal purity and lack of vibrato, which for me is appropriate for the piece.  I particularly enjoy the soprano Joanne Lunn and bass Matthew Brook, but all the soloists do a fine job.  Third, the choral parts are sung with reverence, passion, and attention to detail.  The way the voices blend perfectly and in tune is stunningly beautiful, and must be heard to be appreciated.  Fourth, the orchestra is on point and follows meticulously the dynamics in the score.  The individual contributions from specific instruments can be heard very well.  Finally, John Butt’s direction carries a vision that clearly the entire enterprise is invested in following to put together a coherent production.  Butt’s attention to detail and cutting through the dense fog you hear in many Requiem recordings leads to viscerally thrilling moments.  Climaxes and hushed passages are equally impressive, and you never have the feeling that the orchestra and chorus are smaller than typical.  This is a “weighty” performance in the best sense.

Completion used:  Süssmayr       

Most importantly, this Requiem leaves a distinct impression on the listener.  It is one I will return to often I am sure, and I highly recommend it.  

Nine additional recommended recordings

The nine other recordings listed below are not in ranked order, as each of them bring something special to this timeless work.  

English baroque and classical specialist Sir John Eliot Gardiner recorded Mozart’s Requiem with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists with a star-studded lineup of soloists including Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Hans Peter Blochwitz, and Willard White, recorded in 1987 by the Archiv (Decca) label.  Gardiner’s vision is consistently gripping.  Period instruments and the historically informed performance approach provide crisp textures with sharply-inflected rhythms and dynamics in a transparent sound picture.  Gardiner is dramatic, and he draws incredibly precise and expressive singing from the Monteverdi Choir.  The soloists are unrivaled. I have always been a big fan of Bonney and Von Otter, and their fresh, young voices are nothing short of stunning here.  White and Blochwitz bring commanding performances, ever sensitive to the text and the mood.  The sound is quite clear and impressively engineered. 

Completion:  Süssmayr

Sir Georg Solti, the legendary Hungarian conductor, recorded the Requiem with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Concert Choir in 1991 for Decca as part of a live concert to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death.  Recorded in St. Stephen’s Church in Vienna, Solti is joined by a brilliant team of soloists including Arleen Auger, Cecilia Bartoli, Vinson Cole, and Rene Pape.  At the time of this recording, Bartoli was in the process of becoming an international superstar, and her contribution here shows her in good voice.  Arleen Auger, who would tragically be diagnosed with a brain tumor only three months after this performance and would pass away only a year later, sounds radiantly beautiful in the soprano part.  Cole produces a nice tone, and Pape’s ringing bass is impressive.  As with any live recording, there are imperfections in the recorded sound and the orchestra’s execution, but nothing too noticeable.  The live recording has the feeling of an important event.  Note the recording includes text and chants, as it was taken from an actual liturgy.  Solti’s approach is certainly not radical, and he takes a middle road with tempos and dynamics, and modern instruments are used.  I find this recording quite satisfying, the sound is clear with some reverberance from the church, the singing is energetic and engaged, and Solti essentially leads a big-boned and dramatic reading.  

Completion:  Süssmayr

Returning to period instruments, and period performance there is Christopher Hogwood’s 1983 recording on the Decca label with the Academy of Ancient Music, the Academy of Ancient Music Choir, and the Westminster Boys’ Choir.  Soloists are Emma Kirkby, Carolyn Watkinson, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, and David Thomas.  Kirkby and Rolfe Johnson were almost without peers when this recording was made, but Watkinson and Thomas truly shine here too.  Hogwood’s use of a boys’ choir is unconventional, and may not be to everyone’s liking.  But the use of period instruments and moderate tempos brings clarity to the textures, and the more powerful passages still carry plenty of weight.  The choir is strong and satisfying, and like many period conductors Hogwood avoids any sort of heaviness done merely for dramatic or spiritual affect.  One interesting point to note is how similar Kirkby’s voice is to the voices in the boys’ choir, such is the purity of tone she produces.  For some, this may be a drawback in the sense that her voice is not contrasted well when put alongside the boys.  But I find this recording invigorating and still one of the very best.  

Completion:  Süssmayr

German tenor turned conductor Peter Schreier led the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Leipzig Rundfunkchor in a 1983 Philips Classics (Universal) release, joined by soloists Margaret Price, Trudeliese Schmidt, Francisco Araiza, and Theo Adam.  This recording is one of the best all-around modern instrument recordings of the Requiem, and scores high in my book due to the disciplined choral singing from the Leipzig Rundfunkchor, the urgent and spirited direction from Schreier, marvelous contributions from Margaret Price and Theo Adam in particular, and the very good early digital sound.  The recording carries plenty of weight and impact, yet retains the dignity and reverence of a requiem within a liturgical setting.  Listening to this recording again recently I was reminded just how much I enjoy it.  It also won a Gramophone Award back in its day.  

Completion:  Süssmayr

Early music conductor Harry Christophers recorded the Requiem with the period instrument forces of the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston for the CORO label in 2011, taken from two live performances at Symphony Hall in Boston.  Christophers’ approach is the complete opposite of laid back or stodgy, as he and the H & H blaze a virtual fire through the score.  The performance is engaging, constantly moving forward, and full of drama.  I find this a very exciting recording, but some listeners may not respond to just how driven Christophers and company are for most of the recording.  It can be unrelenting, but also inspiring and impressive.  Soloists are Elizabeth Watts, Phyllis Pancella, Andrew Kennedy, and Eric Owens, and what I most appreciate about them is how well they blend together.  Kennedy and Owens are especially convincing, and the choral forces of the H & H are captured wonderfully in a recorded sound that is miked rather close but sounds remarkable for a live recording.          

Completion:  Süssmayr

The late Latvian conductor Mariss Jansons is not a name I would have expected to be represented for recordings of Mozart’s Requiem, but his 2011 recording with the modern instrument Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Choir on the RCO’s own label is top-notch.  Soloists are Genia Kühmeier, Bernarda Fink, Mark Padmore, and Gerald Finley.  First, the orchestra is caught gloriously in full and sumptuous sound.  The contrast with some of the thinner, more sparsely orchestrated period recordings could not be greater.  But Jansons still uses some historically-informed techniques such as somewhat less vibrato, sharper string and brass bite, and a bit more staccato on notes and phrases.  While certainly broader than most period performances, Jansons’ approach is also acutely sensitive to the quieter and more poignant passages.  The soloists all acquit themselves very well, with Finley and Kühmeier being standouts.  The sound is outstanding. 

Completion:   Süssmayr 

Back on period instruments, a long-time favorite recording of mine of the Requiem is from American-born French conductor William Christie and his own Les Arts Florrisants and the Choeur Les Arts Florissants.  Released in 1995 by Erato, this is another energetic and vivid performance with some superb singing by the soloists.  The soloists include Anna Maria Panzarella, Nathalie Stutzmann, Christoph Pregardien, and Nathan Berg.  Panarella’s lighter, young-sounding soprano contrasts very well with Stutzmann’s darker-hued alto voice.  Similarly, the accomplished and reliable oratorio tenor Pregardien is nicely complemented by the excellent bass voice of Berg.  The chorus is virtually beyond reproach, and the orchestra is full and weighty.  The Kyrie moves along at an exciting clip, as does the Dies Irae.  Christie pulls back nicely in the Tuba Mirum, Recordare, and Lacrimosa but even there he keeps things moving.  What raises this above many other period performances is the precision and quality of the playing and singing here, in addition to the excellent sound engineering.  Highly recommended.

Completion:  Süssmayr

The celebrated Argentine pianist turned conductor Daniel Barenboim has recorded the Requiem twice commercially, and it is his first recording with the English Chamber Orchestra from 1971 on EMI that I recommend.  Along with the John Alldis Choir, soloists are a star-studded group of Sheila Armstrong, Janet Baker, Nicolai Gedda, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.  I must admit I am not a fan of Barenboim the conductor as a general rule (although he is rightly lauded for  his pianism), but in this case I find Barenboim quite perceptive and intelligent.  He leads a vibrant performance with a smaller, modern-instrument chamber sized orchestra.  The recording has a wonderful clarity and Barenboim seems to have an innate sense of structure and dynamics, building to thrilling climaxes and sensitively shaping the more tender movements.  The soloists all give heartfelt performances, and it is only Fischer-Dieskau that is challenged by a lower part than he normally sings.  Baker and Gedda are outstanding, and Armstrong is very good if slightly matronly sounding.  The singing of the Alldis Choir is engaged and alert, with proper weight and precision.  The recorded sound is quite good for the early 70s, and still sounds good today.  I have almost always enjoyed the playing of the English Chamber Orchestra, and here is no exception.  Their ensemble is spot on, the more weighty string tone welcome to my ears at least after the many period instrument recordings.  

Completion:   Süssmayr

My final recommendation is the recording by Quebecois conductor Bernard Labadie and the Quebecois period instrument group Les Violons du Roy joined by La Chapelle de Québec, a recording made in 2001 by Dorian Records (now issued on ATMA records).  Soloists are Karina Gauvin, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, John Tessier, and Nathan Berg.  Labadie uses a completion of the Requiem by American pianist and musicologist Robert Levin.  You can hear Levin’s contributions particularly in the revised Amen and Hosanna sections, along with some sections where he made the strings more transparent.  My opinion is it is a perfectly legitimate and interesting completion, though we will never know for sure how Mozart would have done it.  The chorus and orchestra are captured clearly and persuasively, and the soloists are also quite fine.  Berg is again excellent and I particularly like the purity of Gauvin’s tone.  Labadie has a good feel for the natural flow of the piece, and he does not push as hard as Christophers or Christie, so the music has more room to breathe.  The recording is taken from a live performance, and as such there are a few small but hardly noticeable vocal imperfections.  All in all, an outstanding recording of the Requiem.

Completion:  Levin

We have come to the end of another entry in the Building a Collection series.  Thank you once again for your readership.  A quick note to let you know I will be taking a short break from the Building a Collection series until the first week of 2024.  However, stay tuned because I am planning a special Holiday edition highlighting some of the best music from the season.  Until then, may the Spirit of the Holidays fill your home with love and peace.

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Notes:           

Brennan, Gerald. Schrott, Allen. Woodstra, Chris.  All Music Guide to Classical Music, The Definitive Guide.  All Media Guide. Pp. 884, 905-906.  Backbeat Books, San Francisco. 2005.

Kozinn, Allan. The New York Times Essential Library Classical Music, A Critic’s Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings. Pp. 70-72. Times Books. Henry Holt and Company. New York. 2004.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunedin_Consort

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Mozart)