The Message of Mozart’s Requiem
By Onyinyechi U.
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A requiem Mass is a prayer for the dead used in Roman Catholic services (McConnell). From the Latin for “rest,” the requiem meditates on the final judgment and the Christian’s hope of salvation (“English Translation”). There have been many musical settings to this prayer, but among them, the Requiem of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stands out as one of the greatest of all time.
In July 1791, the thirty-five-year-old composer received a commission to write a requiem for a certain count whose wife had died. Although a busy man in declining health, Mozart worked on the project for months (Schwarm). However, he was unable to complete it; on December 5, 1791, he passed away. Eventually, it was his student, Franz Süssmayr, who finished the work, creating the completed Requiem in D Minor (McConnell).
The Requiem involves six main parts: “Kyrie,” “Sequence,” “Offertorium,” “Sanctus,” “Agnus Dei,” and “Communio” (McConnell). Each of these parts is written in Latin, but the prayer has been translated into English. Because of this, many have had the opportunity to experience the message of this composition.
What is the message in the music? What is the meaning of the Requiem? To answer these questions, nine NorthStar students described their own personal analyses of three excerpts from this work of art: “Dies Irae,” “Lacrimosa,” and “Agnus Dei.”
The Sequence opens with the “Dies Irae,” or “Day of Wrath,” a graphic depiction of God’s judgment upon the unbeliever. The music rushes along at a desperate pace, illustrating the fear that strikes sinners as the Lord approaches (McConnell). Over and over the choir cries, “Great trembling there will be,” emphasizing the agitation of the guilty “when the Judge descends from heaven” (“English Translation”). There is no hope of safety offered as the song reaches its dramatic conclusion.
NorthStar students experienced the emotion conveyed through the “Dies Irae,” with many feeling “tense,” “stressed,” and even “intimidated.” One related: “It made you feel as if the day of reckoning was here….it also had an air of finality.” Most of them similarly spoke of the darker themes of this work.
The last part of the “Sequence” is “Lacrimosa.” “Lacrimosa,” meaning “of tears and mourning,” depicts the doom of the wicked as they await the judgment of God after the final resurrection (“English Translation”). A dark lament introduces this section when the sinful face their fate. However, partway through the song, the moans of the guilty give way to a plea for forgiveness as the choir begs God “Spare [man] by your mercy” (“English Translation”). As the song concludes, there is a faint hope that all is not lost.
NSA students offered mixed feelings about this section, with one noting: “This music in this piece felt mournful. It gave me a sort of hopeful feeling in the middle when the lyrics mentioned Jesus giving us grace.” Another summarized: “This song is really a tale of two songs. There is this one side full of dread and insecurity, and another side full of hope and praise to God.”
Finally, the “Agnus Dei” focuses on the sacrifice of Jesus and His eternal power to save. More tranquil than the other two sections, this prayer repeats three times the words of John the Baptist in John 1:29: “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Bible Gateway; “English Translation”). The subject of the music shifts from the sinner’s doom to the Lord’s grace as the choir softly asks Him to bless the souls of departed Christians with everlasting rest.
Students appreciated the emotional complexity of this piece. One said: “This piece made me feel hopeful and calm. Certain parts of this piece reminded me of other songs I know of that make me feel happy, so I felt sort of happy while listening to this piece.” Another remarked, “When reading the translation of the lyrics, it made me happy. However, just listening to the music it sounds sad at least towards the beginning. It later picks up a bit, but I had an underlying feeling of sadness throughout the whole piece.” Overall, the students understood the elements of hope and sobriety woven throughout not only the “Agnus Dei,” but also the entire Requiem.
What was the students’ favorite of these sections of Mozart’s Requiem? Four out of the nine said “Agnus Dei” was the best piece, while three others preferred “Lacrimosa.” Most importantly, though, all of them experienced a beautiful work of classical music, exploring the messages of judgment, mourning, and, ultimately, the promise of eternal rest through Jesus’ sacrifice.
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Onyinyechi U. lives in Pennsylvania with her parents and two siblings. She is in eleventh grade. This is her fourth year at NSA and her second year on the Navigator. In her free time, she enjoys writing novels and poetry.