Apollo's Fire performs Mozart's Requiem: A Tapestry

Apollo's Fire brings to Mozart's final masterpiece a setting that reminds us of the broad tapestry of voices and cultures that make up the world we all share. "And now I must go, just as it has become possible for me to live quietly. Now I must leave my art just as I had freed myself from the slavery of fashion, and won the privilege of following my own feelings and composing freely whatever my heart prompted! I must leave my poor children in the moment when I should have been able better to care for their welfare.... Did I not tell you that I was composing this “Requiem” for myself?" – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, uttered on his deathbed (reported by Constanze Mozart) As he lay dying at the age of 36, Mozart composed his most beloved masterpiece, the Requiem – leaving it incomplete. His student Franz Süssmayr attempted to complete the missing movements to collect the promised commission fee; however, Süssmayr’s completion has generally been considered unsatisfactory by most musicians and scholars. The Requiem movements that Mozart completed amount to only 40 minutes. Mozart’s exquisitely beautiful “Lacrimosa” trails off after only 8 bars. He didn’t compose the Sanctus at all. Jeannette Sorrell says, “As I pondered how to honor the legacy of Mozart’s unfinished Requiem, I found myself reflecting on voices that were silenced or overshadowed by the culture of that time. These voices speak to us profoundly today, as the world teeters on a precipice in so many ways. So, to complete the Requiem, I chose eight movements from sacred-inspired works by living Black composers. In this way, we pay homage to Mozart by honoring the humanity within us all.” The Early Music in Columbus concert series presents ensembles who perform on period instruments, performing not only music from years ago but also how it would have sounded on the instruments available years ago.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3320152-0

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