WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) is revered as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, having brought the style of the Classical period (1750-1820) to its culmination. He grew up in Austria as a renowned child prodigy, and composed over 800 works in his short life. The Requiem, composed while he lay dying, is perhaps his most iconic and beloved work, but remains unfinished. Mozart instilled a sense of eternity in the work by borrowing “ancient” musical material, including themes from Handel’s The Ways of Zion do Mourn and the fugue “And with his stripes we are healed” from Handel’s Messiah. Over 20 composers and musicologists have developed alternative completions for the Requiem.
