Mozart Requiem - First Listening Assignment	William Wieland
Music courses too often focus on excerpts and short works. I wish to study at least one complete major work in some detail. We are accustomed to fast food, instant cash and 3 minute songs. We need to practice extended listening. The REQUIEM K 626 (1791-2) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr (1766-1803). The work includes fugues, canons, da capo movements and other common forms and compositional techniques. It employs a chorus, soloists and a unique orchestra. It features a variety of textures including solos, chamber ensembles and tutti passages. The requiem is an important musical form closely related to the Mass. Please find 50 uninterrupted minutes and listen to Mozart's Requiem in its entirety as if you were at a concert. You do not need to wear formal clothes, but listen attentively. (Do not play "Texas hold 'em" while the music is playing.) To focus your attention, please answer the following questions: In your opinion, where are the 2 or 3 most beautiful moments? Please identify them and attempt to explain why they are so lovely. In your opinion, where are the 2 or 3 most powerful moments? Please identify them and attempt to explain what gives them impact.
Some of the music Mozart composed in 1791: K. 595 Piano Concerto in B flat K. 618 Ave Verum Corpus K. 620 Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), German opera K. 621 La clemenza di Tito, Opera seria K. 622 Clarinet Concerto K. 626 Requiem
"The Neue Mozart-Ausgabe is an institution that, since the 1950s, has been working on the modern critical edition of all compositions created by Mozart. Now, thanks to the efforts of Daniel Brandenburg, an index to much of the information collected is available on the Internet. This site includes searchable databases of Mozart's compositions and autograph scores. It may very well be the closest the Internet ever gets to an official Mozart site." Steve Boerner, The Mozart Project