Listening Extra – All Souls’ Day – The Listening Project Blog

A Requiem is a setting of the mass in Roman Catholicism that also includes extra sections relating to praying for the dead, both at the funeral and at the graveside.

the Introit (‘Requiem aeternam‘) translates as ‘grant them eternal rest‘
the Kyrie eleison (‘Lord have mercy‘) follows on as usual and is usually linked.
There’s then an extra piece – a long one specifically focused on the end of the world and judgement of everything called the Dies Irae, or ‘Day of Wrath‘
1. This is a dramatic piece of text – look at the settings by Mozart and Verdi
2. the Tuba Mirumis about the trumpets sounding at the end of the world
3. the Rex Tremendaeis about God as a powerful judge
4. it gives way to a more reflective ending, using the Lacrymosa – ‘that day of tears and mourning, From the dust of earth returning Man for judgement must prepare him’
the Offertory is ‘Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriæ, libera animas’, translating as ‘Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed‘
The Sanctus is as normal
There can be a setting of the Benedictus afterwards
If not, the prayer Pie Jesu – famously set by Fauré and Duruflé – follows, translated as ‘Merciful Lord Jesus, grant them rest. Amen.’
The Lux aeterna is sung at Communion
The Libera me (a large movement in the setting by Fauré, and at the end of the Verdi) follows, translated as ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal on that fearful day, When the heavens and the earth shall be moved, When thou shalt come to judge the world by fire.‘
The final movement is the In Paradisum, left out by some composers as it was often sung by the graveside and therefore without choir and orchestra. There are particularly effective settings by Fauré and Duruflé. The text translates as ‘May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive you and with Lazarus, once (a) poor (man), may you have eternal rest.’

How would you set the texts of the Requiem? How would you portray the character and mood of the peaceful, anguished and fearful lyrics?

Here are a few settings of the Requiem to help you explore – I have a particular fondness for the Lobo and the Lotti, the final movement of the Verdi, and all of the Fauré!

c.1461: Ockeghem