Mozart Requiem Mass in D Minor VI - Confutatis and Lacrimosa

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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.

Latin Lyrics and English translation follow:

CONFUTATIS
Confutatis maledictis,
When the damned are cast away
Flammis acribus addictis,
and consigned to the searing flames,
Voca me cum benedictus.
call me to be with the blessed.
Oro supplex et acclinis,
Bowed down in supplication I beseech Thee,
Cor contritum quasi cinis:
my heart as though ground to ashes:
Gere curam mei finis.
Help me in my final hour.

LACRIMOSA
Lacrimosa dies illa,
O this day full of tears,
Qua resurget ex favilla.
when from the ashes arises
Iudicandus homo reus:
guilty man to be judged:
Huic ergo parce, Deus.
O Lord, have mercy upon him!
Pie Jesu Domine,
Gentle Lord Jesus,
Dona eis requiem. Amen.
grant them eternal rest. Amen.

Channel: Music
Uploaded: May 21, 2007 at 7:26 am
Author: ClassicalMusicGuide

Length: 00:04:57
Rating: 4.87
Views: 369720

Tags: mozart amadeus requiem mass minor recordare dies bach classical beethoven roman catholic confutatis lacrimosa

Video Comments:
sstuddert (September 8, 2008 at 4:47 pm)
It is a well known FACT that Mozart did believe in God, particularly towards the end of his life which is when he wrote the Requiem Mass.
sstuddert (September 8, 2008 at 4:37 pm)
idiot
BlauAngst (September 8, 2008 at 6:39 am)
He was a GOD
prophetofsorrow (September 7, 2008 at 10:30 pm)
I never new this, I do know much about Wolfgang but I never new that. I appreciate the information. =D
sstuddert (September 7, 2008 at 5:36 pm)
Next time you listen to this keep in mind that Mozart thought he was composing his own Requiem Mass, the music makes alot more sense that way.
sstuddert (September 7, 2008 at 5:29 pm)
(continued)

The messenger sent by Walsegg was a man named Franz Anton Leitgeb. Leitgeb was tall, thin, pale, almost ghostly. Mozart, in his delirious state of mind, believed this man to be a messenger from the other world. Infact, he believed Leitgeb to be death.
It was not long before Mozart began to think that death (leitgeb) was commissioning a Requiem Mass from Mozart FOR Mozart.
In other words, Mozart believed he was composing his own Requiem Mass.
sstuddert (September 7, 2008 at 5:11 pm)
(continued)

In 1791, the wife of an eccentric aristocrat, Count von Walsegg, died at the age of 20.
The Count sent a messenger to anonymously commission a requiem mass from Mozart in memory of his now deceased wife.
This is where things become ominous, dramatic and, perhaps, unbelievable. However, I asure you every word of it is true.

(continued)
Valtifest (September 7, 2008 at 2:01 am)
We sang the whole requiem of Mozart last year with our school. I really like the requiem! It's beautiful! With the requiem we sang Ave Verum and Laudate Dominum! We had a great performance by the way! This year we're going to sing Dvorák!
sstuddert (September 6, 2008 at 3:56 pm)
While I do believe that Mozart was inspired by God in composing the Requiem to some degree, I don't believe he was influenced anywhere near as much as alot of you think he was.
To begin with, Mozart was taking regular doses of mercury (Mozart had syphilis and in those days mercury was thought to be a sort of cure for syphilis). This undoubtably caused mercury poisoning which may result in, and in Mozart's case it did, deliriousness or even madness.

(continued)
sstuddert (September 6, 2008 at 2:31 pm)
He didn't mean without divine INSPIRATION, he meant without divine HELP. Mozart may have (or may not have) been inspired by the glory of God when composing the Requiem but he was not helped by God. That's what he meant any way.