Requiem Mass (K 626) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Wednesday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m.

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 has a complex history. The work was commissioned by Count Walsegg in July 1791 who wanted to pass off the work as his own, so the circumstances of the commission were kept secret. Upon Mozart’s death, Constanze had the work completed by other composers, but to receive final payment, their assistance had to remain a secret. At the same time, Constanze wanted to present the work as having been written by Mozart to completion, so as to receive revenue from the work. When it became known that others besides Mozart had a hand in writing the Requiem, Constanze insisted that Mozart left explicit instructions for the work’s completion.

With all of these levels of intrigue, it is inevitable that many myths would emerge with respect to the circumstances of the work’s completion. One series of myths surrounding the Requiem involves the role Antonio Salieri played in the commissioning and completion of the Requiem and in Mozart’s death generally. While the most recent retelling of this myth is Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus and the movie made from it, it is important to note that the source of misinformation was actually a 19th century play by Alexander Pushkin, Mozart and Salieri, which was turned into an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov and subsequently used as the framework for Amadeus.

The weekly schedule of Chorale Masses is posted in the music section of www.stagnes.net, and printed copies are at the church entrance, along with donation envelopes. The Chorale is a non-profit organization and depends on the generosity of donors. Please send contributions to: Twin Cities Catholic Chorale, P.O. Box 4234, St. Paul, MN 55104. A few of our contributors have asked about sponsoring a specific Mass on a given Sunday.  If you might be interested, please contact Virginia Schubert, the Chorale’s President, at chorale@stagnes.net.