1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - K.626 - Requiem Mass in D Minor

K.626; Year: 1791; Genre: classical/Classical Period

I had another song in mind today, but for some reason when I saw that today's pick number was 1791 it seemed familiar for some reason. After a little bit of wracking my brain I realized that 1791 was the year that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died. After I realized that fact there was only one song, or piece of music that I wanted to pick. Not only is this his final composition, but it is undoubtedly my favourite piece of music from the master composer; it's truly beautiful and awe inspiring. I especially love listening to it as driving music; it's quite exhilarating.
This piece in particular has a great deal of mystique tied to it, which is due it being a funeral mass written by one of the most famous composers at the time of his death and the fact that much of the composition was not from his hand. In fact, if I remember right, the majority of the piece was written by others.
One of the major misconceptions about this piece is that Antonio Salieri actually had something to do with it and Mozart's death. The myth that he commissioned the piece and had something to do with Mozart's death actually comes from the Alexander Pushkin play Mozart and Salieri, which became a proper opera written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Eventually that opera was used as the basis for the hit film Amadeus, thus turning Antonio Salieri into the pop culture villain.
In actuality the person who commissioned The Requiem was supposedly the Count Franz von Walsegg, and he did it anonymously. As the story goes, he not only intended the piece to be used for the anniversary of his wife's death, but he was also intending to take credit for it. However, in the end the authorship remained Mozart's.

Hear the complete Requiem on YouTube.



My song pick a year ago today: Banchee - The Night is Calling

My song pick two years ago today: Band of Horses - Cigarettes, Wedding Bands

My song pick three years ago today: Bread - Guitar Man

My song pick four years ago today: America - A Horse With No Name

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