April 29, 2026 | Author: Dominic Nicholas | Category:Repertoire Guides
Requiem Mass
A Requiem Mass, or Mass for the Dead, is a text used in burial services in the Catholic faith. Musical settings of the Requiem text tend to fall into two categories, there are those, like Verdi and Berlioz, that emphasise the blood-curdling nature of their subject matter, dwelling heavily on the terror of judgement day. There are others, like Faure and Duruflé that instead focus on the idea of eternal rest.
In either case the seriousness of the subject matter has led to the creation of some of the most profound works of music ever to have been written. Here are our picks of some of the very best, including, where available, links to complete scores and our exclusive arrangements of some of the best moments from these great masterpieces.
It’s easy when contemplating this work to get lost in the fascinating details of its composition: the mysterious man in black who commissioned it; the false narrative, fed by Miloš Forman’s film ‘Amadeus,’ that Mozart’s rival Antonio Salieri plotted to kill him; the deathbed scene in which Mozart left instructions for the completion of his final masterpiece (we cover this, and more, in our article Who Wrote Mozart’s Requiem?).
We shouldn’t let this high drama distract us, however, from the central qualities of this sublime masterpiece, albeit one that is occasionally compromised by less competent additions made after the composer’s death. The work balances dramatic and often terrifying visions of the afterlife, for example in the exhilarating Dies Irae, Rex Tremandae and Confutatis Maledictis with moments of exquisite beauty, such as the Tuba Miriam, Recordare and Hostias.
In writing his Grande Messe des morts, Berlioz didn’t merely aim to describe Judgement Day, he wanted to re-enact it in the concert hall. The work calls for a gigantic orchestra, including, for the Tuba Mirum, four additional brass bands. It also requires ten players using timpani in order to create a rolling, thunderous sound that mimics the earth shaking. It’s not all loud, of course—loudness has no effect without contrast—but its high-octane, surround sound drama makes it the most cinematic Requiem ever written.
Verdi’s Requiem fits into the same ‘blood and fire’ tradition as Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Morts. This is most apparent in the terrifying cascading strings, wailing chorus and thumps of the bass drum that constitute the work’s Dies Irae, thematic material that haunts the work as a whole. This dissolves into an equally awe-inspiring vision of the biblical ‘Last Trump’ in the ‘Tuba Mirum Spargens Sonum.’
It’s also fair to say, however, that Verdi chooses to rein in these elements for large portions of the work, such as in the exquisite movements for solo/multiple-solo voice ‘Quid sum miser’ ‘Recordare’ and Ingemisco. It makes, perhaps, for a more focused, effective whole that Berlioz’s Grande Messe des Morts, whose spectacle does, at times, teeter towards melodrama.
Faure’s Requiem is a direct response to the terrifying visions of death offered by Berlioz and Verdi. Faure himself explained that he saw death as ‘a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.’ This is reflected in his decision to remove the most doom-laden part of the mass, the Dies Irae Sequence and by concluding with a note of optimism in the movement In Paradisum. Throughout, the music is characterised by intimacy, restraint and purity, most notably in the famous solo treble aria Pie Jesu, which stands in stark contrast to the more operatic arias of Verdi’s Requiem.
This is a Requiem that breaks the mould. Whereas composers up to this point had worked within the Roman Catholic tradition, Brahms ditched the traditional requiem text entirely. Instead, using a Lutheran bible, he chose a series of Biblical passages that could give comfort to the grieving. Like Faure, he also removed references to the ‘Day of Wrath’ (i.e. Dies Irae), to hell or to judgement, focusing instead on patience and hope, as for example in the sublime movement Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (‘How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings’).
Remarking on the work, Brahms said he would have gladly named it "A Human Requiem" instead of "A German Requiem." He wanted it to be universal, moving beyond specific church dogmas to address the shared human experience of loss.
Duruflé—Requiem, Op.48 (1947)
Duruflé’s Requiem is often bracketed with that of Faure, and with good reason—they both omit the long Dies Irae sequence and both emphasise qualities of hope and rest. Duruflé, however, chose to base his work entirely around the Roman Catholic plainchants associated with each of his chosen texts. These chants, which have a good deal of metrical freedom, seem to float, creating a feeling that is perhaps even more spiritual and peaceful that that of Faure.
And all the others:
The above six are the best-known requiems, but there are still some other great ones to explore. Here, more briefly, are the best of all the rest….
A cornerstone of Renaissance polyphony written for the funeral of Empress Maria of Austria and celebrated for its austere grandeur and expressive vocal lines.
