Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor II - Dies Irae

John Eliot Gardiner conducts the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. This performance was filmed at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona in Dec. 1991.

A Requiem Mass in the Roman Catholic tradition is a service designed to pray for the souls of the departed. The parts of the liturgy that are meant to be sung are what constitute all Requiem Mass compositions, including Mozart's.

The structure is as follows:
1. Introit
2. Kyrie
3. Sequence: a. Dies irae b. Tuba mirum c. Rex tremendae d. Recordare e. Confutatis f. Lacrimosa
4. Offertory: a. Domine Jesu Christe b. Hostias
5. Sanctus
6. Benedictus
7. Agnus Dei
8. Lux Aeterna

Mozart died before finishing the Requiem Mass, and his wife Constanze gave the task of finishing the work to a pupil of Mozart's named Süssmayr. From the Sanctus onward, the Requiem is the creation of Süssmayr, though he did use portions of the Introit and Kyrie for the Lux Aeterna.

Despite, or maybe partially because of, the controversy surrounding this Requiem Mass, it is widely regarded as Mozart's greatest masterpiece.

Below is the Latin and the English translation for the Dies irae.

Dies iræ! dies illa
Day of wrath and terror looming!
Solvet sæclum in favilla
Heaven and earth to ash consuming,
Teste David cum Sibylla!
David's word and Sibyl's truth foredooming!

Quantus tremor est futurus,
What horror must invade the mind,
quando judex est venturus,
when the approaching judge shall find,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
and sift the deeds of all mankind.

Dies iræ! dies illa
Solvet sæclum in favilla
Teste David cum Sibylla!

Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Dies iræ! dies illa
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Dies iræ! dies illa
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
cuncta stricte discussurus!
cuncta stricte discussurus!

• Category

  Music

[ketttr01]

who else says this conductor is absolutely fantastic!!! 

[Aceod]

This is proof that some people can create awesome music, nothing else.

[SuperTimmyboy32]

Wolfgang Krauser.

[goldragon1993]

I'll CHISEL YOUR GRAVESTONE SLEEP WELL

[Angel Luz]

Happy Easter!

[sethfan1]

I concur. JEG, imho, is the best period instrument scholar today. His tempos are quick and his phrasing is crisp and almost has a dancelike quality to it. He is the best at leading the orchestra with an always anticipated upbeat to each measure, never loosing the momentum in the music. I have almost all of his recordings.

[PureHarmoniousLove]

Mozart was a genious if he was alive to day he would shop at Raleys oro perferably Safeway over Savemart.

[Juan Barroso]

About the conducting comments. . . it is a well known rule that a conductor only needs to give the musicians that which they don't have. If it were a beginners choir, they would constantly need time input, constantly being shown where each time is. 1, 2, 3, 4, for example ( so to speak) The more advanced the conductor, the more he can get into actual interpretation and expression. This is a great example of such a feat.

[punkypenguin321]

You are absolutely right that it takes more than good movements to make a good conductor, but speaking as a conductor myself, this is one of the basic rudiments of conducting. He maybe a great conductor (no question) but it's hard for a player to follow if there is no exact contact point in a gesture.

[1SquidBoy]

a consistent ictus does not a good conductor make.

This man is more than that.

[yasminfurtado1]

Very good !!

[punkypenguin321]

yes, but he has absolutely no ictus (means the point when the beat happens in a conducting motion.)