Dies Irae, Dies Illa - Michael Haydn (1737 - 1806)

Haydn (brother to Joseph Haydn) wrote his Requiem Mass some 20 years before the young Mozart wrote his, and their are similarities between the two. The opening movement demonstrates a remarkable sense of structure and sonority. It is underpinned by a solemn walking bass line which harks back to Pergolosi's Stabat Mater which was widely known and performed in 18th century Salzburg. Haydn sets the Dies Irae as one continuous, though sectionalised, movement. The day of Judgement is depicted by sforzando daggers and surges of sound, culminating in a splendid trumpet call for the "Tuba miram", before the soprano and then the alto soloist present a more expressive section, led off by he soprano's "mors stupebit" (Mozart also moves to solo voices for this section). Amongst Haydn's constantly varied and imaginative instrumental accompaniments come some remarkable modern harmonies. The descending "Recordare, Iesu pie" introduces a major-key "juste Judex" for the tenor, complete with a groaning "Ingemisco," and a lyrical "preces meae" from the bass. Stark accents punctuate the "confutatis madledictis;" "Oro supplex" is smoothly arpeggionic. Another similarity between Haydn and Mozart comes with the rhythm of the "Lacrimosa" motif before an extensive "Amen" closes this, the longest movement of the Requiem.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Michael Haydn
• precededant of Mozart
• Salzburg
• Baroque music
• music for the dead
• day of judgement
• Sequence movement.

[Neonalfax]

I love Mozart!!! I really but really do!! And I mostly love his Requiem... ... But M. Haydn's Dies Irae is better.

[162ALAN162]

I like both this and Mozarts a lot, but the first section alone of Verdi's beats them by a mile.

[162ALAN162]

@AdvocateToTheAccuser Mozart's does indeed use all the text, but it's split between six sections, beginning "Dies Iræ', 'Tuba Mirum', 'Rex Tremendæ', 'Recordare', 'Confutatis Maledictis' and 'Lacrimosa'.

[Nganguen]

Angelic Dies Irae...It also sounds like the Mozart's, but this version is "particular" and I love it!

[AdvocateToTheAccuser]

I love this Dies Irae. It's interesting, the idea of comparing it to Mozart's. I'm not sure which one I like better, but they certainly have similarities, as well as differences. I like the Haydn because it's like a musical narrative. The rhythm never ceases, the entire text is in there, and the scoring has neat different voices that capture the different emotions. Mozart doesn't use all the text, but he matches the notes and rhythm to the words perfectly.

[TheCrazyCello]

@Smithyinlove Finally someone who agrees about the Haydn Requiem! You sir, have taste. But then, Mozart didn't have the same inspiration - Haydn's patron and his 1yo daughter died that year. Plus Mozart didn't even write a quarter of his before he copped it.

[TheCrazyCello]

@DALLASot ...and have you heard the Introitus? It's just devastating. Mozart's is a pale comparison really, he invert's Haydn's fugal theme which just weakens it harmonically and doesn't achieve the same emotional depth. Perhaps if Mozart himself had completed his, instead of Eybler and Suessmayr and the rest, he might have matched the overarching consistancy of structure that Haydn achieves, but we'll never know :/

[TheCrazyCello]

@DALLASot

Oh no, Haydn's all the way. The Sequenz may be shorter, but it's compact and the Dies Irae is truly terrifying. Mozart sticks to primary/secondary harmony and uses the fact that it's louder and faster to make it scary. Haydn's is truly terrifying with those supernatural sounding Neapolitan 6ths...

[DALLASot]

This is very good, however I still prefer Mozart's version

[luresia333]

Amazing...simply amazing.Thank you!