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At Mozart's death, the work was nowhere near being ready for publication or performance. Only 38% of the score published as Mozart's Requiem was actually written by Mozart. The remainder was written by a series of composers whom Mozart's Widow hired to complete the score so she could collect the commission owed to her late husband. |
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Mozart's approach was to compose each movement by writing out the complete vocal parts and the orchestral bass part in their entirety before even starting to write parts for other instruments. While Mozart did have the opportunity to write additional parts (mostly strings) but with the exception of the opening movement, his writing was fragmentary at best. Wind, brass, timpani and string parts are practically non-existent. The lack of completion is especially shocking in the Lacrimosa, which has become the most popular movement in the work. Only 8 measures were provided by Mozart before he died, leaving the rest to be composed by others. To make matters worse, some movements were not even started. An Eighteenth Century Requiem must contain specific movements, as dictated by religious and performance practices of the time, and in the case of the Requiem, five entire movements — Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, Lux Aeterna and Cum Sanctis Tuis — had not even been begun at Mozart’s death. |
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