Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem in D minor is a masterpiece shrouded in mystery and surrounded by controversy, making it even more fascinating and emotionally stirring. It began with an anonymous commission by Count Franz Walsegg zu Stuppach, who intended to pass it off as his own. But in the midst of creating the Requiem in 1791, Mozart died after a short illness. It could be said that he was writing his own funeral music.
Needing the income the piece would bring, Mozart’s widow Constanze persuaded his friend Süssmayr to finish it, based on Mozart’s notes. Without his participation, it’s likely the Requiem never would have been completed. Count Walsegg, the man who had anonymously commissioned the piece, later performed it as if it were his own. Thus ensued a ten-year battle over ownership, including legal maneuverings and deception. The Count ended up disgraced.
Constanze faced a difficult task: she had to keep secret the fact that the Requiem was unfinished at Mozart's death, so she could collect the final payment from the commission. She also had to promote it as being fully Mozart’s composition to receive revenue from its publication and performance. Her efforts helped create the many half-truths and myths about the work that proliferated after Mozart's death.
The masterpiece that we know today was the work of many hands, but Mozart’s vision was the true guiding force. Even on his deathbed he was composing. His sister-in-law Sophie, who cared for him in his final hours, reported that “the last movement of his lips was an endeavor to indicate where the kettledrums should be used in his Requiem. I think I still hear the sound.”
Mozart’s Requiem in D minor is one of the most popular and well-known pieces of classical music ever written. On May 3 and 4, Santa Cruz Symphony will join forces with Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus and four stellar vocalists: Emalie Savoy (soprano), Sara Couden (contralto), Joshua Stewart (tenor), and Elliot Madore (baritone) to bring you this masterwork.
Our program will also feature a new arrangement of Björk's Overture to Dancer in the Dark by our very own Maestro Daniel Stewart, and a stunning world premiere of Daniel Stewart's Lux Perpetua. Prepare to be transported, both spiritually and emotionally, in this thrilling conclusion to our 2024-25 classical concert series. We invite you to share this unforgettable performance with us!
PROGRAM:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Requiem in D Minor
Björk/arr. Stewart:
Overture to Dancer in the Dark
Daniel Patrick Stewart:
Lux Perpetua
Free open rehearsal of Mozart's Requiem:
THURSDAY, May 1 at 7:30 PM
Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
No reservations required
Doors open at 7 PM
Evening performance of Mozart's Requiem:
Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 PM
Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
Pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM
Doors open at 6:15 PM
Matinee performance of Mozart's Requiem:
Sunday, May 4 at 2:00 PM
Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville
Pre-concert talk at 1:00 PM
Doors open at 12:45 PM