Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor IV - Rex Tremendae

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 Rex tremendae.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mozart
• requiem
• mass
• minor
• rex
• tremendae
• dies
• kyrie
• lacrymosa
• beethoven
• bach
• classical
• amadeus

[Elainelps0421]

@AgnoAtheist Like it or not, "cookie cutter", as you so aptly describe the classical style, is when Mozart lived, Mozart wrote and the rules Mozart followed, but even within the confines of this strict style, his music was creative, emotional and beautiful. It has a fervency and pathos which Gardiner painstakingly reproduced in this performance. A great deal of scholarly research went into what Mozart wanted this performance to sound like, not just what Gardiner, Sussmayer or you and I wanted.

[CODE3012]

If you miss hear the lyrics, you could see this being a good zombie opera parody:

Openning: BRAAAINSS! BRAAAINS!

[sas147741]

@bobcrunch Amadeus is just a movie.

[TheSamanthaLynn]

@bobcrunch They were actually friendly with one another, and Mozart taught Salieri's son piano.

[mxgzn]

@bobcrunch The Mozart/Salieri deadly rivalry is a literary invention.

[alankace]

what's with that trombone slide...

[halcalash]

this is inspirational. <3

[Fotswochit]

@Elainelps0421 Well said, madam.

[bootheven]

I've heard the Requiem and the Rex so far on here by Gardiner. Loved the Requiem but the strings are playing staccato in an exaggerated fashion for the first half of the Movement. Should be Legato sostenuto from beginning to end and the tempo seems too fast for my liking. It's original alright.

[1988Andymaster]

Amazing.. from 1:36 and on, the music resonates in my heart.

[outsidemendham]

...too quick. I might die of a heart attack.