Who commissioned the Requiem Mass from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1791?
Count Franz von Walsegg commissioned a Requiem Mass in Vienna during late 1791. He sent an anonymous messenger to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with the request.
Questions about Requiem (Mozart)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart die and who completed his unfinished Requiem score?
Mozart died on the 5th of December 1791 after receiving only half of the agreed payment upfront. Joseph Eybler began working on the score but Franz Xaver Süssmayr then took over the task and completed the remaining movements including the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei.
What musical influences shaped the composition of the Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
The Introitus theme is modeled after Handel's The ways of Zion do mourn while Michael Haydn's Requiem in C minor influenced the Introitus as Mozart played viola at its first three performances in January 1772. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2 also provided material for the four-note theme found throughout the work.
Why did Constanze Mozart create stories about the death of her husband Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Constanze Mozart created many stories surrounding the composition of the Requiem to protect her financial interests. Her accounts suggested that a mysterious messenger had poisoned him though no evidence supports this claim.
How was the final version of the Requiem Mass delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg in 1792?
The completed score bore a counterfeited signature of Mozart and was dated 1792 when delivered to Walsegg. This version included adaptations by Franz Xaver Süssmayr who wrote the Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei himself.