Mozart's Requiem short version. Requiem

Requiem (Mozart)

First page of the score. In the upper right corner is Mozart's inscription "1792" - the estimated date of completion of the Requiem

Composition of the orchestra and choir

Vocal parts are represented by soprano, alto, tenor and bass, as well as a four-voice choir.

Text of "Requiem" with translation

1. INTROITUS

Et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
Et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem;
Exaudi orationem meam,
Ad te omnis caro veniet.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

(translation)

And let eternal light shine upon them.
A hymn is sung to you, O God, in Zion,
And prayers are offered to You in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer
All flesh returns to You.

Grant them eternal peace, Lord,
And let eternal light shine upon them.

2. KYRIE
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison,
Kyrie eleison.

(translation)
Lord have mercy. Christ, have mercy;
Lord have mercy.

3.SEQUENTIA
Dies irae
Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sibylla.

Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus.

(translation)
Day of wrath, that day
Will turn the world to dust
According to the testimony of David and the Sibyl.

How great awe will come,
When the Judge comes,
Who will judge everything strictly.

4. Tuba mirum
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus judicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit,
Nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
quem patronum rogaturus,
cum vix justus sit securus?

(translation)
Trumpets an amazing sound will sweep through
Over the cemetery countries,
Calling everyone to the throne.

Death and nature will freeze,
When creation is resurrected to
Give the judge an answer.

The book will open
Containing everything
By what will the world be judged?

And so, when the Judge sits,
All secrets will become clear,
Nothing will go unpunished.

What then, unfortunate one, will I say?
Whom will I call as defenders?
if even the righteous are barely safe?

5. Rex tremendae
Rex tremendae majestatis,
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis.

(translation)
King of terrifying majesty,
He who graciously saves those who seek salvation,
Save me, source of mercy.

6.Recordare
Recordare, Jesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae,
Ne me perdas illa die.

Quaerens me sedisti lassus,
Redemisti crucem passus;
Tantus labor non sit cassus.

Juste judex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis
Ante diem rationis.

Ingemisco tanquam reus,
Culpa rubet vultus meus;
Supplicanti parce, Deus.

Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem dedisti.

Preces meae non sum dignae,
Sed tu, bonus, fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.

Inter oves locum praesta,
Et ab haedis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

(translation)
Remember, merciful Jesus,
That I was the reason for Your path,
Do not destroy me on that day.

Me, sitting in despondency,
He redeemed himself by suffering on the cross;
May the sacrifice not be fruitless.

Righteous Judge of Vengeance,
Grant forgiveness
Before the Day of Judgment

Guilty, I cry out with a groan,
With a face burning with shame;
Have mercy on the one who pleads, O God.

The acquitter of Maria
And he who heard the robber,
Give me hope too.

My prayers are unworthy
But You, O Good One, do mercy,
Don't let me burn forever.

Give me a place among the lambs,
And separate me from the goats,
Placed on the right side.

7. Confutatis
Confutatis maledictis,
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictis.

Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis,
Gere curam mei finis.

(translation)
Having put to shame the wicked,
Consigning them to hellish flames,
Call me with the blessed.

I pray, humble and bowed,
A heart worn away like ashes.
Take care of my demise.

8. Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.

Huic ergo parce, Deus,
Pie Jesu Domine,
Dona eis requiem. Amen.

(translation)
That day was full of tears
When he rises from the dust
To be judged, man.

So have mercy on him, God
Dear Lord Jesus,
Give them peace. Amen.

9. OFFERTORIUM
Domine Jesu Christe
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae,
Libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum
De poenis inferni et de profundo lacu.
Libera eas de ore leonis,
Ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
Ne cadant in obscurum:
Sed signifer sanctus Michael
Repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam,

Et semini ejus.

(translation)
Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,
Free the souls of all the faithful departed
From the torments of hell and the bottomless lake.
Free them from the lion's mouth,
So that tartar does not consume them,
And they did not disappear in the darkness:
But the leader is Saint Michael
May he lead them into the sacred light,
Which You once promised to Abraham
And to his descendants.

10. Hostias
Hostias et preces tibi, Domine,
Laudis offerimus.
Tu suscipe pro animabus illis,
Quarum hodie memoriam facimus:
Fac eas, Domine,
De morte transire ad vitam,
Quam olim Abrahae promisisti,
Et semini ejus.

(translation)
Sacrifice and prayers to You, Lord,
We offer you praise.
Accept them for the sake of the souls of those
Whom we remember today:
Let them, Lord,
From death to life,
Which You once promised to Abraham
And to his descendants.

11. SANCTUS
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.

(translation)
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of hosts!
The heavens and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

12. BENEDICTUS
Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.

(translation)
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

13. AGNUS DEI

Dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
Dona eis requiem sempiternam.

(translation)

Give them peace.
Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
Grant them eternal peace.

14. COMMUNIO
Lux aeterna
Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine,
Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

(translation)
Let them shine eternal light, God,
With Your saints forever, for You are abundant in mercy.
Grant them eternal peace, Lord,
And let eternal light shine upon them.

see also

Notes

Links

• Mozart's Requiem - on the Mariinsky Theater website
• Mozart and Salieri. Mario Corti - transcript of the radio program “Culture” (Radio Liberty)

Notes

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Geistliche Gesangswerke. Requiem, Mozarts Fragment Notation of Mozart's fragments of the Requiem with critical commentary (in German) on the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe website, reproduced from the 1965 edition of the Internationale Stiftung Mozart
• Requiem, K.626 Free sheet music files from the International Music Score Library Project
• Requiem, KV 626 Free sheet music files on the ChoralWiki project

Cast: soprano, alto, tenor, bass, choir, orchestra.

History of creation

In July 1791, Mozart, an all-European renowned musician, member of the Bologna Academy and holder of the Order of the Golden Spur, author of numerous symphonies, the operas “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni”, worked hard on “The Magic Flute”. He felt very bad: he was tormented by incomprehensible pain and weakness.

One evening he was visited by a stranger dressed all in black. He ordered a Requiem - a funeral mass. The customer left the fee and deadline for completing the order at the discretion of the composer, offered a good deposit, but did not disclose his name. Mozart agreed: exhausted by constant lack of money, extremely impractical in everyday matters, he could not refuse. Work began immediately. But the composer could not get rid of the thought that he was writing the funeral mass for himself. His letter has been preserved, in which his painful state is reflected with tragic force: “There is chaos in my head, I can only hardly gather my thoughts. The image of the stranger does not want to disappear from my eyes. I see him continuously. He asks, he insists and demands work from me. I continue to write, because composing music tires me less than doing nothing. I have nothing to fear anymore. I feel - my condition tells me this - my hour has struck. I must die. I feel this with such confidence that I don't need proof. I stop enjoying my talent. And how wonderful life was! Its beginning promised magnificent prospects. But no one can change what is destined by fate. We must obediently bow to the will of Providence. So I end my dirge. I have no right to leave it unfinished. Vienna, September 7, 1791."

The unknown illness was getting worse every day. Despite this, Mozart worked extremely hard. The Magic Flute was completed and premiered on September 30. After this, Mozart also composed the Little Masonic Cantata, which he himself conducted in mid-November. The suffering became more and more intense. When the composer's strength completely left him, he dictated to his student Franz Süssmayer, who lived in his house. Lacrimosa was written in early December. On the evening of December 4, friends gathered at the patient’s bedside sang it. Mozart performed the viola part, but burst into tears and could not continue. The next day he was gone. The last number he wrote was Hostias. The remaining numbers of the Requiem, Sanctus (Holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts), Benedictus (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God, who bears all the sins of the world, may You grant them rest), were added by Süssmayer. The conclusion returns, with a different text, to the Mozartian music of the first movement.

“Death overtook him while working on the Requiem,” recalled Süssmayer. - So the finishing of his work was entrusted to many masters. Some of them, overloaded with work, could not devote themselves to this work. Others were afraid to compromise their talent by comparison with Mozart’s genius. In the end, the matter came to me, because it was known that even during Mozart’s life I often played or sang numbers composed with him. He discussed the development of this piece with me very often and informed me of the entire progress of the work and the basics of instrumentation. I can only dream that experts will at least somewhere find traces of his incomparable teachings, then my work will be a success to some extent.”

A few years later, the name of the mysterious customer became known: it was a certain Count Walseg, an amateur music lover who used to buy other people's works and pass them off as his own. He needed the Requiem to honor the memory of his late wife, and at the beginning of the 19th century, when a message about the upcoming publication of the Requiem appeared in the press, he demanded “compensation for losses” from Mozart’s widow!

The requiem is written on the canonical Latin text of the funeral mass, beginning with the words “Requiem aeternam” - “Eternal rest” and arranged in verses in the poem by Thomas of Celan (c. 1190-c. 1260) “Dies irae” (Day of Wrath, in Maykov’s equirhythmic translation Day of Retribution ). Presumably, the author of the poem was inspired by lines from the funeral mass, which are a refraction of a passage from the book of the biblical prophet Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1, 14-16). The Requiem consists of 12 parts, their content is a plea for the granting of peace, salvation of the soul and pictures of the Last Judgment:

№1

May the quiet light shine upon them in peace!
In Zion we glorify You with song!
Jerusalem shines with your glory!
Hear, Lord, our prayer!
Our affirmation is in You!
Give them eternal peace, Lord!
May a quiet light shine upon them in peace!
Lord, Giver of blessings!
God, Giver of blessings!
Lord, righteous!
Lord, Giver of blessings!

№2
Day of Vengeance! He will come!
And unexpectedly, when it comes,
Everyone will rise from their beds in fear!
All peoples, all languages,
Everyone will know the great day
The call of the Lord is in the trumpet voice!

№3
Voice of the Lord! Over the seas
Voice of the Lord! over the seas, over the lands,
It will sweep over the coffins like thunder.
And unexpectedly, among the living,
Generations in the grave of beings,
They will stand in a row for the Judgment of those coming.
And this book is opened by Him
And nothing is hidden in it,
What is punishment for us, what is protection.
Everyone will join the throne
Where He sits, inaccessible
The judge is incorruptible to us.
And he will ask you too,
What are you going to say? God! God!
Who will help me, who?

№4
King of Heaven! I surrender
Before You! pouring out
All in tears!

№5
You are the Savior, the King of Heaven,
You are the great torment of the godmother
Redeemed us wonderfully!
You have called everyone to eternal life
Us with endless love,
Hear, hear the cry of the heart!
You showed us the way,
You were beaten, you were tied up
And scolded and tortured.
For the enemy who was furious,
Like a madman, he mocked
Over You, You prayed.
Forgave everyone, for they remain
In blindness they don’t know
What they do, what they do.
You gave us hope
What will repentance wash away?
The heart is stained with crime.
Merciful, I submit,
Before You, I pour myself out
I'm in tears, I repent, I repent.

№6
Ah, from the host of the condemned,
Eternal death of the doomed,
Grant me to stand in the host of the saved!
Grant me to stand before You,
Merciful Judge,
Pure in heart and soul.

№7
In this sorrow, O Master,
On the great day ahead,
To man and the universe
Be an unchanging intercessor,
Son of God, be a holy shield for us!
Give peace to those sleeping in the tomb!

№8
Lord Son of God!
Giver of blessings, giver of blessings!
Destroy the souls of all Your faithful servants
And all those who died from flour,
From eternal torment and from final death.
Deliver them from the lion's jaw,
From the pernicious torment of hell
From the darkness of the underworld.
May the angel lift you under his wing
By Thy commandment they are brought into the kingdom of light!
Bo You gave consolation to Abraham from ancient times!

№9
With sacrifice and praise to You, Lord! today we come running;
And we pray for the souls of Your servants,
We pray that You create for them an eternal memory.
Grant them, Lord, to enter from death into the life of the century.
For Abraham you gave consolation from ancient times.

№10
Holy! Holy is the Lord God of hosts!
The heavens proclaim the glory of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!

№11
Glory, glory to him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!

№12
Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world,
Grant You eternal peace and bliss!
May a quiet light shine on them forever, Lord!
Let it shine together with the saints, for this is good.

Translation by A. Maykov

Music

Mozart's Requiem is one of the greatest creations of human genius, an inspired hymn to the Lord. Its depth and seriousness, drama and sublimity, touching and brightness cannot leave anyone indifferent.

No. 1, the opening prayer Requiem aeternam (Thou didst bestow upon them eternal rest... - hereinafter the translation is given not according to Maykov’s version, but according to an unnamed, less bright literary, but closer to the canonical Latin text and corresponding music) is imbued with deep sadness. The solo soprano intones the melody of the ancient chorale “The Lord will glorify you in Zion.” The central section of the first movement is Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) - a swift double fugue, captivating with its flow. The traditional sequence Dies irae (Day of Wrath), divided by the composer into six separate parts, was not completed. Only fragments of the fiery picture of the Last Judgment remained written out (No. 2, The Day will appear in wrathful force), alternating performances of soloists (No. 3, Tuba mirum - The trumpet will sound for us), choral prayers addressed to the stern punishing God (No. 4, Rex tremendae - King of the trembling creation), a bright quartet of soloists (No. 5, Recordare - Oh, remember, Jesus, for me You are your difficult path) and, finally, full of mystical expectations No. 6, Confutatis (Judgment pronounced to the disgraced), where the gloomy exclamations of the male choir are answered tremulous female voices. No. 7 - the famous Lacrimosa (This day of tears will come), all permeated with the intonation of a sorrowful sigh, is the lyrical center of the Requiem. Full of dramatic appeals and heartfelt supplication, ending with Fugue No. 8 - Domine Jesu (Lord God Christ, King of Glory). In No. 9, Hostias (Victims, prayers to Thee, O Lord), the noble melody, full of inner drama, is replaced by the returning fugue from No. 8.

“Requiem” (lat. Requiem - funeral mass) is the last, unfinished work of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, on which he worked before his death - a funeral funeral mass written in a canonical Latin text. The work was completed by Mozart's students, mainly Franz Xaver Süssmayer, however, the Requiem is one of Mozart's most famous works and is considered one of his most important creations.
Consists of 14 parts in the following order:
Introitus: Requiem aeternam(eternal rest) - chorus, completed by Mozart.
Kyrie eleison(Lord, have mercy) - choral fugue, orchestration, possibly by Eibler.
Sequentia- in the first five movements the orchestration was completed by Süssmayer or Eibler.
Dies irae(day of wrath) - chorus
Tuba mirum(pre-eternal trumpet) - quartet for soprano, alto, tenor and bass
Rex tremendae majestatis(king of stunning greatness) - choir
Recordare, Jesu pie(remember, merciful Jesus) - quartet
Confutatis maledictis(putting the wicked to shame) - chorus
Lacrimosa dies illa(tearful day) - choir, first 8 bars - Mozart, then Süssmayr; the choral fugue Amen (amen), sketched by Mozart, is missing from Süssmayer.
Offertorium- orchestration completed by Süssmayr
Domine Jesu Christe(Lord Jesus Christ) - choir and quartet
Versus: Hostias et preces(Sacrifices and supplications) - choir
Sanctus- presumably written by Süssmayr based on sketches by Mozart
Sanctus(holy) - choir and solo
Benedictus(blessed) - quartet, then choir
Agnus Dei(Lamb of God) - choir
Communio:
Lux aeterna(eternal light) - chorus, repetition of the second half Requiem aeternam and fugues Kyrie
Writing history:
In mid-July 1791, Mozart received, through an intermediary, an order to compose the Requiem under conditions of secrecy. Presumably Mozart knew the customer. He received an advance, according to various sources, 50 or 100 ducats, the same amount the composer was supposed to receive upon completion of the work.
As it turned out later, the Requiem was commissioned by Count Franz von Walseg for annual performance in memory of his wife, who died in February 1791. The Count was an amateur musician and repeatedly passed off works commissioned from various composers as his own, or rather, bought authorship from them. When Walsegg first performed the Requiem in December 1793, the score stated: “Requiem composed by Count von Walsegg” (Composito dei conte Walsegg). His manager Leutgeb acted as an intermediary.
Thus, Mozart had to compose the Requiem anonymously. Lack of money forced the composer to agree to this extremely humiliating condition for him, which can serve as an explanation for the large number of borrowings (researchers in various parts of the Requiem find parallels with the works of C. F. E. Bach, Michael Haydn, Domenico Cimarosa and Francois Gossec). However, these “borrowings” are more likely due to general framework and the principles of church music of the 18th century, rather than by copying other people's works. Similar parallels can be drawn, for example, between the theme of the Kyrie fugue and the theme of the G minor fugue from the 1st volume of J. S. Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier”; however, overall the two fugues are completely different from each other. Thus, even despite its incompleteness, the “Requiem” in its significance is, along with the church works of J. S. Bach, one of the most significant examples of church music of the 18th century.
Having begun work on the Requiem, Mozart subsequently interrupted it several times for other works: in August he received an urgent order for the opera La Clemenza di Tito, the performance of which was timed to coincide with the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia. Upon returning from Prague, the composer first had to work on The Magic Flute, and then on the clarinet concerto and the Masonic cantata. According to Mozart's wife Constanze, at this time he often complained about his health, and she was even forced to take away the score of the Requiem from him, since working on it had a detrimental effect on his well-being. On November 18, Mozart felt better, he even conducted his Cantata, but on the 20th he finally went to bed, and, according to the testimony of those around him, continued to work on the Requiem lying down until his death on December 5.
Mozart managed to completely write the Introitus, as well as almost completely record the choral voices and in some places outline the orchestration of the Kyrie, 6 parts of the Sequence, except for the unfinished Lacrimosa and the sketch of Amen and Offertory.
Fearing that the customer of the work would not only not pay the fee, but would also demand the deposit back, after the death of her husband, Constanza turned to Josef Eibler with a request to complete the composition. Eibler wrote the instrumentation in parts up to Lacrimosa and suspended work. After this, Constanza, according to some information, turned to other Viennese composers with a similar request, but they all refused her, and as a result, the manuscript ended up with Mozart’s student Franz Xaver Süssmayer.
The latter, as he himself later claimed, completed the unfinished Lacrimosa and wrote the entire Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei, and at the end decided to repeat the Kyrie fugue on another text. However, according to Constanza, after the death of her husband, she gave Süssmeier some sheets of paper from the music stand, which supposedly contained sketches of the missing parts. This, and the clear connections between the Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei and the authentically Mozartian movements, suggests that Süssmayer used sketches, and perhaps even lifetime instructions, from Mozart when writing them.
For a long time it was believed that everything in the original score was written by Mozart. This information came from Constanza, whose interests it was that the Requiem be considered authentic in its entirety. However, already in 1838 the original autograph of the Requiem was found, and in 1839 Süssmayer's participation in the completion of the Requiem was publicly recognized by Constance.
There are currently 2 known autograph options:
Autograph A was given to Count Walseg in 1792. Contains the Introitus and Kyrie, recorded primarily by Mozart, as well as the remaining parts of the Requiem recorded by Süssmayer.
Autograph B consists of two parts and is a score sketch.
The first of these contains Dies Irae, Rex, Recordare and Confutatis. The sketch itself was written by Mozart, but there are additions in unfinished places, made by someone else's hand, as well as comments made by the hand of Abbot Stadler.
The second movement contains the first 8 bars of Lacrimosa, Domine Jesu and Hostias. Everything was written by Mozart, no additions were made by anyone else. Apparently, autograph B was used by Süssmayer when writing autograph A, starting with Dies Irae.
Additionally, in 1962, an original Mozart sketch was found containing a 16-bar sketch for the Amen fugue that was to follow Lacrimosa and conclude the Sequenz, a 4-bar sketch for the Rex tremendae, and an unidentified passage.
The exact extent of Süssmayer's involvement in the completion of the requiem is a matter of debate to this day.

Scores autographed by Mozart

First page of Mozart's score "Requiem" First page of Mozart's score "Lacrimosa" First page of Mozart's score "Dies irae" Last page of Mozart's score "Dies irae"

Introit (Requiem aeternam)
Kyrie
Graduale
Tract (Absolve Domine)
Sequentia (Dies irae)
Offertorium (Domine Iesu Christe)
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
Communio (Lux aeterna)

In musical works, the structure of a requiem usually has 7 main parts and looks like this:

Introit – Requiem aeternam (“Eternal Peace”)
Kyrie – Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy”)
Sequence – Dies Irae, “Day of Wrath”)
Offertory – Domine Iesu Christe, “Lord Jesus”)
Sanctus ("Sanctus", "Holy")
Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God")
Communia – Lux aeterna, “Eternal Light”)

Introit
The first two lines of Introitu's text come from the apocryphal 4th book of Ezra. The following (from the words “Te decet hymnus”) - from the Psalter (chap. 64: 2-3)
Kyrie

The opening section of the mass. The only part that is traditionally sung in Greek.
Sequence

The sequence is the most voluminous behind the text, and therefore is usually divided into several parts. For example, in Mozart’s “Requiem” there are 6 of them: Dies irae – Tuba mirum – Rex Tremendae – Recordare – Confutatis – Lacrimosa. The text of the sequence supposedly belongs to the Franciscan Tommaso da Celano (XIII century).
(Full text …)
Offertory
In the Catholic Mass, the offertory is the time of offering gifts to God. During this part of the ritual, bread and wine are brought to the altar for consecration. The bringing of gifts is accompanied by chants. In the Requiem, the offertory contains two parts - “Domine Jesu Christe” (“Lord Jesus Christ”) and “Hostias” (“Sacrifice”).
Sanctus
Includes two sections - the Sanctus itself and the Benedictus. The text of the Sanctus is taken from two sources. The first line comes from the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:3), the second is a slightly modified fragment of the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 21:9) The Benedictus text comes from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:68)
Agnus Dei
The last part of the Ordinary of the Mass. The Lamb of God sacrificed is the image of Jesus Christ, who took upon himself all the sins of mankind. The text is borrowed from the Gospel of John (John 1:29), the first two lines are verbatim, the third is modified.
Communia
The communion in the Mass is a prayer of thanksgiving sung at communion, which is where the term comes from. The requiem uses the chant "Lux aeterna" ("eternal light").
Like the mass, the requiem initially consisted of Gregorian chant tunes sung in unison, with varying local traditions in the choice of tunes. Already in the 15th century. Polyphonic arrangements of these melodies began to appear. The first requiem of this type among those that have survived to this day belongs to I. Okegem. Other Renaissance composers who wrote requiems include Orlando di Lasso and G. da Palestrina.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, during the era of the birth and development of opera and the establishment of the homophonic-harmonic style, the Requiem turned into a large cyclic form for choir, soloists and orchestra. The melodies of the Gregorian chant were canonized and ceased to be its intonation basis; instead, the textual basis was preserved. Among the authors of the Requiem of this era are A. Lotti, F. Durante, N. Jommelli, A. Hasse.
The most famous Requiem of the classical era is the Requiem in d-minor by V.A. Mozart, written in 1971. The requiems of L. Cherubini and A. Salieri date back to the same era.
The most significant requiems of the romantic era are considered to be the requiems of G. Berlioz (1837), G. Verdi (1873), as well as the “German Requiem” by J. Brahms (1868), written, unlike the previous ones, in a German text. Among the authors of requiems of the 19th century are also such famous composers as F. Liszt, A. Bruckner, A. Dvorak, C. Gounod, C. Saint-Saens, G. Fauré.
A number of 20th century composers wrote requiems without using canonical texts. In particular, this is B. Britten's "War Requiem", in which liturgical Latin texts are combined with poems by the English poet W. Owen. A number of Soviet composers wrote their requiems in memory of V.I. Lenin and other ideologists of the red terror, in particular D. Kabalevsky, Khoja-Einatov and others.
Famous works This genre of the late 20th century belongs to E. L. Webber, K. Penderecki and A. Schnittke. In E. L. Webber's Requiem, as in his rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, the influence of rock aesthetics is palpable. Neo-romantic “Polish Requiem” by K. Penderecki expanded with the traditional Polish hymn “wity Boe”. Schnittke's Requiem is distinguished by the abundant use of instruments unconventional for symphonic music - electric guitar, bass guitar, and a large number of drums.

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Introduction

Disputes and discussions about the life and work of the greatest Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have long subsided. Each era has contributed something of its own to the understanding of Mozart's heritage. And yet, even 210 years after his sudden death musical genius interest in Wolfgang Mozart continues unabated. The life and work of the “god of music!” still remains the focus of attention of his researchers, musicians and admirers. Still in many theaters concert halls, lecture halls feature the music of the great master, lectures are given on the life and work of the greatest composer of all time. And this is explained not only by the fact that his music is still eternally alive. The unusual attention to the biography of Mozart is also due to the fact that for researchers to this day some events relating to the last months of his life remain a deep mystery... Then in 1791, he was only thirty-six years old. What amazing music and how fantastically much he managed to write in such a short time. He created more than six hundred musical works, including twenty operas, fifty symphonies, dozens of concerts, sonatas, masses...

At the age of five, Wolfgang composed his first minuet, at eight he was already a European famous miracle child, and at the age of twelve he experienced the first bitterness of human ill will, which closed the way to the stage for his first opera.

From this moment on, Mozart was constantly haunted by the glaring contrast between the highs of his great spirit and the cruel reality that takes revenge on genius for his rise above the ordinary. Haydn's reverent words addressed to his father Leopold Mozart: "I tell you before God, as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer I know personally and by name; he has taste, and, moreover, the greatest knowledge in composition... " - accompanied him through life on the one hand, and many years of wanderings of the musical genius through cities and villages in a vain search for a stable service corresponding to his creative inclinations, on the other. The phenomenal success of "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni", for example, - and the fatal inability to derive material benefit from this success. This, perhaps, is the whole essence of the life of a musical genius.

Until now, researchers of the biography of W. A. ​​Mozart are perplexed: how could it happen that he, Mozart, who literally made the librettist and theater entrepreneur Schikaneder rich with his “The Magic Flute”, died at that time himself half-destitute? How could it happen that he was buried according to the third category, right in a ditch along with a dozen vagabonds and beggars, without even being given a modest, but separate grave? And it’s completely mysterious: how could it happen that no one (not even his wife) accompanied him on his last journey to the cemetery, so that his burial place still remains unknown?

The fate of Mozart conceals many mysteries. Even his death itself is mysterious, which many still consider violent.

And as always happens in this case: the less initial data for the development of constructive hypotheses, the more scope for various kinds of imagination, not to mention deliberate dishonesty. Taking advantage of the fact that some events of the last months of Mozart’s life cannot be accurately explained, a number of researchers are ready to describe the most incredible arc, without even shying away from the gross bending and deformation of reality. There is not only mysticism and intrigue, but sometimes outright lies, slander, almost medieval medicine, and last but not least, a unique presentation of information. Some researchers of the biography of W. A. ​​Mozart, trying to answer the reasons for his premature death, with complete seriousness, strive to affirm the idea that the entire life of a musical genius - from birth to grave - is a “manipulated fate”. This, in particular, they believe, is evidenced by a secret system of numbers, allegedly revealing direct symbolic-alchemical connections with the deadly poison given to Mozart, which permeates the entire libretto and score of the opera "The Magic Flute", and, in addition, determines major events his life.

If you believe these magical attributes, which were considered sacred in the ancient cultures of many peoples, then it turns out that almost all earthly path Mozart passed under some special star...

“We are sure,” exclaim the hoaxers, “that Mozart’s life from the very beginning was programmed and was in the power of a fatal number: his birth at 8 o’clock in the evening on Wednesday evening, the altitude of the Sun on the day of his birth was 8 degrees in the constellation Aquarius ... and, finally, the sum of its digits full years life - 35, again, a pure eight... And all this is a coincidence? It’s hard to believe in this... His death, which we no longer doubt, is “manipulated fate”, cleverly played out with the help of this fatal number.” The question remains open: did Mozart die because he created “The Magic Flute” , or did he create it, knowing that he would die?"...

Goethe expressed himself even more profoundly about the fate of the great Mozart: “In general, think about it, and you will notice that a person often experiences a turn in the middle of his life, and if in his youth everything was favorable and successful for him, now everything changes, misfortune and misfortune just rain down on him.” him... I think a person should be ruined again. Every extraordinary person fulfills a certain mission assigned to him. When he has completed it, then in this guise he has nothing to do on Earth, and Providence prepares a different fate for him, but since. everything happens in the sublunary world naturally, then the demons trip him up over and over again until he comes to terms... A phenomenon like Mozart will forever remain a miracle, and nothing can be explained here... This was the case with Napoleon and many others... They all performed it to perfection their mission, which means it’s time for them to leave..."

Having died, Mozart seemed to follow his primordial, fatal predestination even in death; he was and remains a messenger from another world.

The history of the creation of the requiem

But, of course, most of the sacraments and mystifications arose around last composition the greatest composer who went down in the history of musical culture under the name "Requiem".

It is widely known that none of Mozart's musical works aroused such heated discussions and opinions as his last work - the so-called "Requiem". All works by W. A. ​​Mozart for a long time were obscured by controversy and speculation surrounding this piece of music. The entire history of this funeral mass, commissioned for him in July 1791 under rather mysterious circumstances by a mysterious messenger in grey, written by the great composer in anticipation of death and never completed, in itself reveals not only unusual, but also unverifiable details , imprinted in the consciousness of Mozart and his contemporaries. Even if we managed to collect all publications and documents about this last work musical genius and try to combine contradictory data about the origin of the "Requiem", then in this case we would hardly be able to shed light on the mystery of the origin of this ritual composition. We would have to trace with vivid clarity the entire course of this most fascinating of literary processes, to see how mysticism, lies and fear of exposure stretches like a red thread through this whole story, and how, on the fertile soil of rumors and silence, deception and ignorance, completely strange and illogical situations arise, and that confusion, intensified by journalists, which until the very last has kept the enlightened world in the dark as to whether the commissioner of the Requiem actually existed or whether he is one of the greatest hoaxes in the history of musical culture?

Although hardly logic further developments that took place in recent months The life of W. A. ​​Mozart can only be explained by the order of this funeral mass, with which the mysterious stranger allegedly came.

The fact is that Mozart himself, his contemporaries, and later researchers of his biography are deeply convinced that the musical genius did not die a natural death. Many facts from his life speak of his violent death. The conclusions made by many researchers convince us that Mozart was poisoned. This is evidenced by medical reports obtained as a result of an analysis of the symptoms of his last illness.

It is well known that Mozart himself was convinced that he had been poisoned, and first told his wife Constanze about this a few months before his death.

The history of Mozart's illness up to the summer of 1791 is literally "empty", and even his own confessions in letters about contagious diseases and neuralgic headaches, which are quite natural for a normal person, are not enough to turn him into a "sick", especially that his personal and intimate life of that time testifies to flourishing health. A person who did not feel well, much less chronically, would never have decided on either the long trip to Prague in 1789 or the trip to Frankfurt in the fall of 1790 to participate in the coronation celebrations of Emperor Leopold II. It should also be noted that not a single year of his creative life was not as fruitful as the fateful year of 1791.

Only in the summer of the last year of his life did he suddenly feel the first malaise, after which his suspicion began to grow stronger and stronger that someone was making an attempt on his life. This suspicion is further strengthened after in July 1791, a strange gray messenger unexpectedly appears to Mozart with a proposal, from which Mozart becomes indescribably excited. Offer mysterious stranger and Mozart’s illness, it is possible, was a coincidence of circumstances, but ordering a ritual mass for Mozart nevertheless had a very profound effect on him strong impression, so that after the departure of the strange customer, “Mozart even developed other, very surprising thoughts, and when they tried to distract him from them, he fell silent, remaining his own” (Nissen).

All the remaining days, until his death, which occurred on December 5, 1791, Mozart lives and works only with the thought of this funeral mass, and under the impression that the anonymous customer made on him in an extraordinary way.

The incredible and sudden death of V.A. Mozart gave rich food for thought to his contemporaries. Beginning in 1791, rumors that he was poisoned never died down. So, already Nemechek, his first biographer, albeit very carefully, in this sense put it this way: “His early death, if, however, it was not artificially accelerated, occurred on December 5, 1791...”.

The Berlin Music Weekly also noted: “Mozart died. He returned home from Prague sick and from then on grew weaker and wasted away every day... Since his body was very swollen after death, it is even assumed that he was poisoned... "

Repeated statements by Mozart himself that he was poisoned, and his hints to Constanze that someone was attempting to kill his life, led to the fact that this suspicion again and again became a reason for heated discussions. This meant a slow-acting poison that was given to Mozart at large intervals: the first time, apparently, at the end of June 1791, when he first felt ill and expressed the idea of ​​​​being poisoned, and a lethal dose, probably in September of that the same year, fatal for the composer, when he was in Prague.

Since the symptomatology of arsenic poisoning does not correspond to the course of the clinical picture of Mozart’s last illness, then in this case we can only talk about a single intoxication - the systematic poisoning of the composer with mercury. Headaches, dizziness, vomiting, weight loss, neuroses, depression, mild excitability and restlessness - all this is the symptomatology of acute mercury poisoning. And the feeling of chills during Mozart’s illness is downright classic when exposed to a poison of this type.

Now that numerous medical examinations and studies have been carried out on Mozart's final illness, it can hardly be doubted any longer that Mozart was a victim of mercury poisoning, which, starting in the middle of the summer of the fatal year for him, was systematically given to him in moderate doses, until the second In mid-September of the same year, he did not receive a fatal one, after which his arms and legs began to swell greatly, and then his whole body. It will be very significant to note the characteristic fetid odor, indicating the internal decomposition of the body, and its sharp increase immediately after death, which made autopsy of the body impossible.

Version about violent death The composer's music after his death became widespread not only in the Habsburg Empire, but also far beyond its borders. The suspicions underlying this version were also reinforced by the way V.A. was buried. Mozart.

And they buried him with extraordinary haste, one might say, like a thieves, in order to hide even the fact of the death of a musical genius, without showing even elementary respect befitting at least his position as assistant bandmaster of the Cathedral of St. Stephen and the title of court conductor and composer, indicated in the same record of the parish sacred church, in which Mozart’s fatal illness is indicated ... “millet”. His body was not even brought into the cathedral, and the farewell rite was hastily performed at the chapel of St. Cross adjacent to the front wall of the temple.

Even more strange was the decision to bury the composer “in the third category” and the fact that this decision was made on the instructions of Baron van Swieten, a man not only noble, but very wealthy, and, moreover, if you believe him himself, who appreciated Mozart’s genius. After a short funeral ceremony, the coffin with Mozart's body was taken to the cemetery of St. Brand. Only a few were present in the chapel and went to see Mozart off on his last journey. Among them were van Swieten, Salieri, Mozart's student Sussmayr, composer Albrechtoberger (soon appointed to the vacant position of assistant bandmaster at St. Stephen's Cathedral) and some other persons.

But none of them reached the cemetery: allegedly because it began to rain heavily, turning into snowfall. All those accompanying the hearse with Mozart’s body walked as if under umbrellas, and the weather got worse and worse and forced them to turn back, back. The residents of Vienna heard this story, which explained why they did not escort Mozart to his grave, from van Swieten and Salieri, and, of course, they were perplexed, because after all, there were people who remembered this day well.

Naturally, the version of the raging elements was created in order to somehow justify the strange behavior of the people who accompanied Mozart on his final journey. And anyone's presence in the cemetery could interfere with the implementation of the plan, which was to make the grave of the greatest German composer lost forever, because the spread of rumors about Mozart’s poisoning could lead to the exhumation of his body in order to study and resolve the issue of the use of poison. Van Swieten, whose position at court was too shaken by this time, understood that it was easy to incur the wrath of the emperor if a terrible shadow of suspicion fell on anyone from his entourage. That is why he took all measures and ordered the burial of Mozart “in the third category,” i.e. in a ditch along with the bodies of a dozen tramps and beggars, also taking care that no one would remember the location of this ditch.

Mozart's widow was not allowed to attend the funeral, explaining her absence painful condition in connection with the grief experienced. Then she was told that a cross had been erected at Wolfgang’s burial site. But even if we assume that this was true, it remains a mystery why she first visited the cemetery only many years later (only in 1808). By that time, the burial site was overgrown with grass and leveled, and the gravedigger who buried Mozart had long since died. And Constanza, naturally, did not find any traces of her husband’s burial.

Rumors about Mozart's poisoning became especially widespread after Salieri's suicide attempt in 1823 and the spread of information about his confession. Although in the fall of 1791, when Mozart fell ill, Antonio Salieri was already openly accused of having poisoned Mozart, especially since they, despite mutual assurances of friendship, were secret rivals.

Moreover, the hostility clearly came only from Salieri. Wolfgang's father, Leopold Mozart, wrote to his daughter "Nannerl" on March 18, 1786: "Salieri and his minions are again ready to move heaven and hell, just to ruin the production (of the opera "The Marriage of Figaro")..." This hidden hostility of Salieri in relation to Mozart, many researchers subsequently noted the relationship between the two rivals.

Even if we leave aside the hostility and the possibility of Salieri poisoning his rival, then Salieri’s “intrigues” deserve attention if only for the reason that Paumgartner points out: “The name of Antonio Salieri is closely connected in the history of music with the name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Most of the blame for Mozart's financial failures can be said that he understood the importance of his competitor and was afraid of him, and therefore weaved intrigues." Therefore, repeated statements by Mozart himself that his enemy, composer Antonio Salieri, attempted to kill his life, as well as Constanze’s hints about this, led to the fact that this suspicion again and again becomes a reason for heated discussions. This refers to a slow-acting poison that was given to Mozart at long intervals.

Although Mozart scholars for the most part adhere to the official version of the death of W. A. ​​Mozart, according to which Salieri is considered the culprit, nevertheless, not everyone is inclined to believe that Salieri poisoned Mozart, that he was jealous of him. Until Mozart's death, Salieri had every reason to consider himself the first composer. And his superiority was convincingly established in his title: the first bandmaster of the empire... Both the public and the imperial court adored him. All of Europe recognized him. Salieri's opera "Tarar" was performed to packed houses, and Mozart's "Don Giovanni", staged after it, was a failure. And there are enough such examples. So could this narcissistic musician, and an Italian at that (music was then considered the profession of Italians) envy some loser, and a German at that - Mozart. And he was so jealous of him that he even decided to poison him.

This is simply absurd, especially since rumors about Mozart’s poisoning spread throughout Europe after his death. Only a madman could connect them with Salieri.

Even when Emperor Joseph II died and Leopold II ascended the throne, who, unlike previous rulers, was not a connoisseur of music, although he played the lyre quite well, there is no reason to believe that from that moment on, anything could have changed in Salieri’s relationship with Mozart . As always with a new reign, all the former favorites immediately lost their places, including Salieri.

The new emperor said: “This Salieri is an unbearable egoist. He wants only his operas to be staged in my theater and only his mistresses to sing in them.” After these words from the Emperor, Salieri naturally resigned. In this situation, Mozart could count on the position of Second Kapellmeister and even submitted a petition to the emperor. But Salieri was well aware of everything that was happening in the palace and what intrigues were weaving around him, Mozart, in order to suddenly see him as a rival.

To say that Antonio Salieri was allegedly afraid of his rival would be an exaggeration. We must remember that Mozart's fame came to the composer mainly after his death. Until this moment, he is better known as a brilliant musician-performer, and less as a writer. Therefore, Antonio Salieri could calmly rest on his laurels. In this regard, it is necessary to emphasize once again that Salieri had no reason to attempt the life of the “god of music.”

True, they claim that a quarter of a century after Mozart’s death, Salieri himself confessed to a priest that he poisoned Mozart, after which he went crazy and tried to cut his throat.

Even if you believe these rumors, then everything happened the other way around: Salieri first went crazy, and then announced that he had poisoned Mozart. Here is what the Viennese newspaper wrote about it then: “Our respected Salieri cannot die. His body is subject to all the weaknesses of old age. His mind has abandoned him. They say that even in the delirium of a sick imagination, he blames himself for the premature death of Mozart. No one believes in this fiction , except for the sickest old man..." By the way, in Beethoven's conversation notebooks all this is written down: "Empty chatter..."

Any biography of W. A. ​​Mozart that focuses exclusively on the personality of the “god of music” and on his relationship with Salieri and does not want to notice other facts and character traits of other people who played an important role in the composer’s life, which applies especially to his last months and days of life, will never be able to claim objective reflection life of a musical genius. At the same time, it would also be unsubstantiated and false to assert that Mozart died because his allotted life span had come to an end. Without making much effort, you can collect many sources scattered across different countries, which speak specifically about the poisoning of Mozart - and their authors were hardly more stupid and irresponsible than some of their contemporaries who are trying to defend this particular version of the cause of death of the “god of music”. And the poisoning, if we do not continue to look for the probable criminals and motives for the murder, may forever remain a mystery to history.

At this point, it should be immediately stated that Salieri could not be the only culprit and participant in the murder of Mozart. And Salieri himself, if we believe that he really confessed to his atrocities, only accuses himself of complicity in the crime.

Traces of the remaining accomplices in the crime are still lost in the wilds of obscurity.

But if Salieri really was involved in a conspiracy against Mozart, then the instigators had to fear that the imperial and royal court conductor might actually suddenly decide to confess his guilt or complicity in the crime. It must not be forgotten that Salieri was closely connected with the Habsburg court, which was thus to some extent cast under the shadow of this suspicion. Mention of this is necessary, because it was precisely the desire to protect the court from this shadow that explains the appearance in the press of a document known as the “Carpanian Defense of Salieri,” the author of which was an informant for the Austrian secret police, paid directly from the imperial treasury.

Since Salieri's troubled conscience still tormented him, a person of Salieri's rank could become an inconvenient witness. It seems that this is how everything happened, because the instigators of Mozart’s murder were simply forced to declare Salieri insane and almost forcefully send him to an almshouse.

Undoubtedly, Salieri could not have been a key figure in the implementation of the plan to poison Mozart, as he was incapable of potentially killing his rival. More often than not, uncertain in his intentions due to the nature of his personality structure, he could not be a direct executor. Being an orthodox Catholic and a prudent tactician, he could entrust the plan to destroy Mozart to another person - this is in his spirit. And yet Salieri does not have direct relationship to participate in the poisoning of Mozart.

Who then could have done this? Previous biography of V.A. Until recently, Mozart for some reason forgot to at least take a look at his student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, who was also Salieri’s student. Shouldn’t it seem more than strange to researchers that Süssmayr, being a student of Mozart, that irreconcilable opponent of Salieri, continues to maintain friendly relations with the latter?

Since Salieri was never at the Mozarts’ house, only his confidant, Süssmayr, suggests himself as the executor of the death sentence - based on their aspect of the poisoning of the great master. In the ambitious Süssmayr, Salieri could undoubtedly find that obedient instrument in whom he could risk trusting regarding his plan or the conspiracy of a circle of people who were in one way or another related to the poisoning of Mozart.

Lacking musical depth and originality of thought, Süssmayr could not treat Mozart with reverence. Due to his emotional immaturity, or rather, his mediocre intellect, he was also not capable of creating anything great, although he was undoubtedly a musically gifted person.

Süssmayr may have loved Mozart's music, but his relationship with his teacher, who jokingly called him a "stupid", was rather strange. Süssmayr from his very appearance in the Mozart family, making friends with Constance, and then entering into a relationship with her love affair, as a result of which they had a son, completely got used to the style of his mentor, which manifested itself in the most extreme forms. He even mastered the maestro’s handwriting so much that their writing style was completely indistinguishable - so much so that later researchers of Mozart’s work worked hard and racked their brains to find out who actually owned the musical works: Mozart or his student? Süssmayr undoubtedly benefited from Mozart's early death, for some of the genius's works were attributed to Süssmayr for a long time, which coincided with his intentions.

Süssmayr was undoubtedly well aware of the creative nature of his teacher, and was even privy to the process of musical perception. When Mozart died, Süssmayr completed the Requiem effortlessly. This, however, not very highly rated service, is the only bright spot in his creative biography. And only his involvement in Mozart’s “Requiem” saved his name from complete oblivion.

After Mozart's death, Constanza and Süssmayr hastily separated. What was the reason for their discord, given that they had common child, and that Süssmayr finished the “Requiem” for Constance is quite difficult to say, and here one can only make various guesses. Of course, Salieri could persuade his student to poison the “god of music.” Being a student of Mozart, and in fact his personal secretary, he undoubtedly could provide invaluable services to Salieri, and through him to other persons interested in Mozart’s death. Süssmayr could have eliminated his teacher for his own reasons. This, of course, should not be forgotten. A prosperous Salieri could contribute to his career, which, it should be noted, he did after Mozart’s death. One thing is unclear: why did Salieri need to eliminate Mozart?

However, in the case of Süssmayr, one cannot help but pay attention to one circumstance: a few years later, Süssmayr suddenly fell ill from a mysterious illness and soon died. After mysterious death Zyusmair, in a strange way, everything associated with this name was immediately liquidated, including portraits, letters and other documents. And Süssmayr, as you know, after the death of his teacher became too prominent a figure for nothing to survive after his death. It seems that someone covered their tracks, removing the main witness, and possibly the direct executor of someone’s will.

Oddly enough, in the same year, other witnesses to the mysterious death and funeral of the great composer, Baron van Swieten and Archbishop Migazzi, disappeared unnoticed one after another. Is this really the work of the same Salieri again? No, something is wrong here. But one cannot help but pay attention to how many names are mentioned in connection with an attempt to penetrate the mystery of the death of the “god of music.” To what extent and how specifically these characters who surrounded him in the last months of his life were involved in the conspiracy against Mozart is quite difficult to say. It was more of a conspiracy than just a murder. This is evidenced by the large-scale destruction of evidence and characters involved to one degree or another in the last months of W. A. ​​Mozart’s activities. And this usually happened in those years when public interest in the circumstances of the mysterious death and the next lifting of the veil over this secret intensified.

In particular, the death of W. A. ​​Mozart’s closest friend, Hofdemel, who, under mysterious circumstances, allegedly committed suicide by cutting his throat on the same day that Mozart died, remains a mystery to history. Hofdamel undoubtedly knew too much as a confidant of the great master, and, most likely, he was simply dealt with, scaring his wife to death and forcing her to remain silent.

By the way, they tried to do the same thing with Salieri: when he tried to speak, they wanted to cut his throat.

The works of some authors also reveal another version of the sudden death of the great composer, according to which the “god of music” could have become a victim of the Freemasons, i.e. their own brothers in the box. As they believe, the Freemasons could not forgive him for the fact that in the opera “The Magic Flute” Mozart dared to reveal their mysteries, and, as it is assumed, he was killed by the verdict of a secret court. It is well known that Mozart, taking into account the spirit of the times, became a member of the Masonic lodge in 1784. It should be noted that most of the famous figures from Mozart’s entourage - both friends and enemies - were members of one of the eight Masonic lodges that then existed in Vienna. Thus, it has been precisely proven that Baron Gottfried van Swieten was an aluminate. Antonio Salieri, like all high-ranking government officials, could have been a member of one of these lodges.

Quickly moving through the lower stages, Mozart in a short period of time made a truly breathtaking career and within a few months of joining the Freemasons he gained access to the lodge of masters. At the time of the first Masonic takeoff, the first works of a corresponding nature occurred. But this enthusiasm of Mozart, apparently already in the second year of his stay in the Freemasons, began to wane: either Mozart’s enthusiasm faded away by itself (being an unbalanced nature, he easily ignited and just as quickly cooled down to everything); or perhaps the further metamorphoses of the Viennese lodges, which by that time could be called downright depressing, affected his activity as a master.

However, a number of researchers completely reject the version of participation in the Masonic conspiracy; it is pointless to look for Mozart’s killer among the Masons, for the brothers in the lodge should rather be grateful to him for the fact that their genius, in a difficult time for the Masonic movement, during the days of persecution against them, was able to bring "The Magic Flute" to the general public and the public "ideals of human brotherhood." The Masons, as many researchers believe, had no motives for eliminating the musical genius. This is evidenced by the fact that the lodge brothers constantly supported Mozart in his work, and at the end of April 1792, in addition, a “funeral meeting of the lodge” took place.

The fact that the Freemasons were in no way involved in the death of Mozart is also confirmed by the circle of people who took an active part in the fate of Mozart before and after his death. These are, first of all, Antonio Salieri and Süssmayr, Baron Val Swieten and Constanta, as well as some religious figures, who looked at the Freemasons as enemies of religion and the imperial dynasty. Most likely, one of them, with the murder of Mozart, hoped to simultaneously strike a blow at the Masonic movement, accusing the Masons of involvement in the death outstanding composer. In any case, with the desire and skill, shifting the blame onto unsuspecting Masons was not particularly difficult. This, apparently, explains the favorable attitude of the authorities towards the production of the opera “The Magic Flute”, in order to avert suspicion of a planned murder.

It is impossible not to note the fact that even Salieri, forgetting about his hostility towards Mozart, was present at the premiere of The Magic Flute, and when the opera ended, he was moved and hugged Mozart for the first time.

Be that as it may, there was a very strange turn in Mozart’s biography - some kind of rapid, mysterious decline in his career. Back in 1785, the public adored him, and suddenly... everyone turned away from him... This, undoubtedly, was an age of insidious intrigue. But the point here, most likely, was not these intrigues, but much more, and these failures are connected with completely different reasons. This turn in his life can be more convincingly explained if we take into account that it was from this period, when he entered one of the Masonic lodges, that all his misfortunes began.

In any case, “confusion reigns in the surviving documents of that time,” as O. E. Deitch succinctly notes. Apparently, this is explained by the fact that in December 1785, Emperor Joseph II, by the way, on the initiative of Ignaz von Born, ordered the merger of the eight then existing lodges into two. As a result of this merger, Mozart's "charity" lodge dissolved into "Hope Re-Crowded." Baron Philipp von Herbert became the master of this lodge. Ignaz von Born remained at the head of another lodge, “Towards True Harmony.”

Subsequent events that unfolded after the death of Emperor Joseph II in 1789 could be described as catastrophic for the Masonic movement. Although the old emperor was not a Freemason, unlike Mother Maria Teresa, who saw nothing in Freemasonry other than an offended sense of ersatz religion, he still tolerated the lodge. But after the accession of Emperor Leopold II to the throne, a different wind immediately blew. Leopold entered the Masonic lodge not long before his accession to the throne. But his attitude towards Freemasonry became increasingly hostile. Leopold's hostility was shared by some close associates of the imperial court. Thus, even under the liberal-minded Emperor Joseph II, the Viennese Archbishop Anton Christoph Bartholomeus was constantly in an irreconcilable struggle with the Freemasons. He was infuriated not only by the fact that many clergymen joined the lodge, but also by any attempt to glorify Freemasonry. Leopold Alois Hofmann, who betrayed the lodge and became an informer, had a close connection with Archbishop Migazzi, as well as with Colloredo and Salieri. All of them were of the opinion that Vienna is a faithful sister to revolutionary Paris, which is why the overthrow of the state order and regicide are possible in Austria. This meant, first of all, the “Towards True Concord” box, of which Born was the grandmaster and where Mozart often visited. Born was the most significant figure in Austrian Freemasonry.

Due to the changed political orientation of the government of Leopold II, the Masonic order lost its former favor; it even began to be seen as the center of political and religious liberalism. Freemasons are already openly beginning to be called enemies of the people, religion, and the imperial house. Most members of the order simply began to leave the lodges. Perhaps it was under the pressure of these circumstances that W. A. ​​Mozart began working on the Masonic opera “The Magic Flute,” in which he openly glorified the ideals of the Freemasons. In addition, during the same period, he began to rush around with the project of creating a new Masonic lodge called “Grotto” based on reformist ideas. Naturally, this did not go unnoticed by the imperial court, which had eyes and ears everywhere. And, of course, the reaction of the new emperor, who persecuted the Masons, could not be benevolent. Mozart, in the eyes of the emperor, ceases to be an eminent person - he becomes dangerous imperial house and his surroundings. In Vienna, one after another, his last operas fail. And in this we must see not only the intrigues of the court conductor Antonio Salieri, who himself was in disgrace during this period. The composer's financial situation has greatly deteriorated and is becoming hopeless. Everything pointed to the approach of some kind of turning point. And he followed: Emperor Leopold decided to found a “true Masonic lodge,” which would consist of “good” and “obedient” Masons, “who should remove suspicions of revolutionary intrigue and thereby testify to loyal patriotic feelings.” Mozart did not express his loyal feelings. Mozart's fate was sealed, but he continued to work on The Magic Flute, fearing to leave it unfinished, for he was well aware that the clouds were not gathering over him in vain. And he was not wrong.

In the spring of 1791, Baron Philipp von Herbert unexpectedly said goodbye to his lodge, and a few months later he died suddenly. In mid-July of the same year, Baron Ignaz von Born followed him, ideological inspirer and the organizer of "Truth", with whom Mozart had very close relations: no one doubted that both were forcibly removed from the political arena. The results of this general pestilence did not fail to affect the fate of the Viennese lodges, and one of them, “Towards True Consent,” a year later decided to completely dissolve. It was at this time, in July 1791, that Mozart himself received the first dose of poison.

Already when Born died, Mozart began to suggest that someone must have made an attempt on his life, intending to poison him. From that moment on, he was often visited by a premonition of death.

The circumstances are implausible and sudden death V.A. Mozart thus gives every reason to believe that the “god of music” did not die at the hands of a lone killer, in particular, his rival Antonio Salieri, as some researchers are trying to imagine, but most likely became the victim of a conspiracy by the imperial court to his elimination as an active figure in the Masonic movement, in which Emperor Leopold and his entourage saw a mortal danger to the existing state order and to themselves personally. A clear example of such a danger for representatives of the supreme power of Austria was Paris, where members secret society- Jacobins - two years ago they overthrew the hated autocracy and proclaimed the slogan: “Freedom, equality and brotherhood” of all peoples. It was the fear of the coming revolution, which was personified by the Masonic movement in Vienna, that forced the government circles of Leopold and himself to take vigorous measures to violently remove the leaders of the Viennese lodges from the political arena and establish full control over the activities of the Freemasons.

The same fate befell V.A. Mozart, who in the last years of his life became a very prominent figure in the Masonic movement in the capital of Austria and did not want to bow his head to the will of the emperor. Finding the executors of the death sentence imposed on him by the emperor was no longer particularly difficult: surrounded by V.A. Mozart had enough characters who were hostile towards him.

At this point, it would seem possible to put an end to the matter of the mysterious death of the greatest composer of the 18th century. The version of a conspiracy by government circles and personally by Emperor Leopold II against V.A. Mozart now seems most likely. The life and death of Mozart can only be understood and assessed taking into account the ideological and historical events that took place in Europe under the influence of the French Revolution. Many facts of that time from the biography of Mozart indicate that the threads of the conspiracy against him go to the highest echelons of power.

In particular, all persons who took some part in the last months of his life and his funeral were directly related to the imperial court. Thus, when considering the version of the great composer’s poisoning with mercury, we can say with certainty that the poison itself could have come either from Count Walsegg zu Stuppach, or from Baron van Swieten. It is now quite difficult to say which of them directly supplied the poison. But it is noteworthy that Idriya (Krain), where mercury was mined, was part of the possession of Count Walsegg, while Van Swieten was the son of the physician of Empress Maria Theresa, who was the first to use mercury sublimate to treat syphilis. Although van Swieten the younger’s medical knowledge, as established from sources, was not as extensive as that of his father, it cannot be ruled out that the imperial family could entrust him with special tasks, in particular, the production of poisons from mercury to eliminate particularly dangerous opponents. The role of Count Walsegg, apparently, was reduced only to supplying the imperial house with the necessary amount of mercury for this purpose, although it cannot be ruled out that he could have been a key figure in this chain of conspirators.

Only one of the participants in the conspiracy, Xevar Franz Süssmayr, a student of Mozart and Salieri, had the immediate opportunity to mix poison into Mozart’s food. This idea about the direct executor of the poisoning of the musical genius is suggested by the fact that after the death of W.A. Mozart, Süssmayr was so favored by the emperor himself that he immediately received the title of court conductor, which Mozart sought for every year of his creative life. This, many will agree, is too generous a reward for a hitherto unknown student of Mozart and Salieri. Such honors to Süsmayr, undoubtedly, could have been granted by the emperor only for special services to him. The role of Salieri, the court composer and conductor in this conspiracy was only intrigue against his rival.

Thus, a consistent chain of executors of the death sentence imposed by V.A. is built. Mozart directly by the Emperor of Austria Leopold II, leading directly to the imperial house.

Naturally, this is still only a version, a working hypothesis: irrefutable evidence on this matter still does not exist. And yet, regarding the death of V.A. Mozart, his entourage and their role in the further development of events that preceded his death, then undoubtedly this hypothesis allows us to outline new perspective visions of those historical events far from us.

In aspect new version about the death of V.A. Mozart can only clarify the question related to the main topic of the study: what is his relation to the conspiracy against V.A. Mozart had a funeral mass, which went down in the history of musical culture under the name "Requiem"? Is this ritual order part of a plan to eliminate the “god of music”, or does it seem to be just a random coincidence of circumstances, in no way related to the conspiracy?

In addition, it is necessary to find out why there was so much mystery around this latest work of a musical genius?!

It is well known that immediately after Mozart’s death desperate attempts were made to hide from the public even the very fact of writing this work, although this was no longer possible, since even during the life of the great composer his work on the Requiem became public knowledge among a wide circle of his friends and acquaintances If we assume that the ritual order was an integral part of the plan to eliminate Mozart, then here we are faced with another, no less complex question: for what purpose was this order given to Mozart? What meaning did the conspirators put into this “Requiem”? For a psychological impact on a Mason who had already received poison and had become a dangerous one, who still posed a threat to the imperial court both politically and public figure, which V.A. had become by that time. Mozart? But this version does not fit into the overall picture of the “silent” murder of a musical genius, what was it like as a slow-acting poison? The French Revolution of 1789 caused too much of a stir in Europe for the Austrian authorities to resort to such sophisticated methods of dealing with their opponents. Mozart had to die quietly and unnoticed.

This confirms the entire further course of events - the destruction of all evidence that could shed light on the crime committed: a quiet funeral, partial or complete concealment of many of his works, documents, letters and, finally, the destruction of the witnesses themselves - participants in the conspiracy against Mozart. Everything was done in order to hide the terrible secret of the crime of the 18th century and even the very fact of writing the funeral mass. Therefore, most likely, Mozart was right in sensing that special circumstances were connected with the customer of the Requiem. What are these circumstances? To answer this very difficult question, first of all it will be necessary to find out who could have ordered the funeral mass? Undoubtedly, here lies the key to understanding the series of events that preceded the tragic death of the greatest composer of that era, most distant from us, in which the musical genius had to live and work.

It is suggested that the mysterious orderer of the funeral mass was Count Walsegg zu Stuppach, for in the “gray messenger”, which made such a strong impression on V.A. Mozart, contemporaries easily recognized the count's servant, Anton Leitgeb, who, however, also died under very mysterious circumstances. As legends say, Count von Walsegg zu Stupach was an excellent flutist. He held a wonderful orchestra. But he had a weakness: he dreamed of being known as a composer, although he himself was too lazy to compose. Therefore, he preferred to secretly commission music from good composers. Not long before this incident, his wife died, and the count, according to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, wanted to compose a Requiem on the occasion of her death. “This is a worthy thought, Count,” the Baron responded to his wish. “I will look forward to your composition. In church music, few can compete with you... Well, perhaps... Mozart.” From his look, the baron realized that the count approved of his advice. Allegedly, at this time his employee, Mr. Lightgeb, entered. He usually carried out such delicate tasks. Long as a pole and thin as death, he always wore gray clothes. They easily imagined what could happen when the servant Lightgeb came to the impressionable Mozart and ordered him a Requiem. And they, as Baron van Swieten recalls, were not mistaken.

Can Baron van Swieten be trusted? It is quite difficult to answer this question in the affirmative. The biographies of both Baron van Swieten and Count Walsegg zu Stuppach have not been studied at all, and no attention has been paid to their legacy. But one thing is certain: here lies the key to building a harmonious and complete biography of W. A. ​​Mozart, since they both played a certain role, if not the main one, as participants in a conspiracy against the “god of music,” and, undoubtedly, as executors of someone else’s will.

Amazingly, Count Walsegg, who at first, allegedly out of vanity, passed off Mozart’s “Requiem” as own composition, later on his own initiative broke the silence. On December 14, 1793, he himself gave permission for the public performance of the Requiem, indicating in the posters the true author of this funeral mass.

However, this version does not fit into the overall picture of poisoning - a conspiracy of the imperial court against a musical genius. Mozart, as one of the most active figures in the Masonic movement, who became a dangerous state criminal in the eyes of the emperor and his entourage, had to die quietly and quietly disappear from the political arena as soon as possible.

And the death sentence passed by the emperor on the dangerous Freemason has already begun to be carried out. In all likelihood, Mozart received his first dose of poison at the end of June - beginning of July 1791, when Mozart received an anonymous order to compose a ritual mass. And at this moment something incredible happens. Further actions to eliminate the “god of music” seem to be suspended for some time. This must have been felt by Mozart too, for after ordering a funeral mass he felt some relief from the onset of his illness, and he made full use of the reprieve granted to him from execution to complete his opera The Magic Flute, a celebration of the Masonic movement, although During this period of work on the opera, he was constantly reminded not to be distracted from composing the funeral mass. This begs the question: was Count Walsegg zu Stuppach really so influential at court that even the emperor himself refused, for the sake of the ambitions of a certain count, to eliminate a freemason dangerous to his power? Of course not. Most likely, this tale about the funeral mass and its customer was composed by Count zu Stuppach and Baron van Swieten much later, when the truth about the existence of the last work of the musical genius could no longer be hidden from the public, when both of them, as the main acting persons, who took an active part in the last months of the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, had to constantly lie and dodge in order to hide the terrible secret of the end of the 18th century.

Putting aside incredible fables, it is most likely necessary to assume that the plan to eliminate Mozart was suspended for some time based on more serious considerations than the entire bibliography of V.A. could tell the public. Mozart and, above all, Baron van Swieten and Count Walsegg. The orderer of the funeral mass could undoubtedly have been a much more influential person than Count zu Stuppach, so influential that even the emperor himself was forced to take into account the opinion of this gentleman. This apparently explains the pressure that Mozart felt when writing a ritual work, and the fact that until the end of September, the month of Mozart’s tragic year, they did not touch him and even allowed him to finish “The Magic Flute,” which they were not very eager to see on stage. stage neither the emperor himself nor his entourage.

Only at the end of September events began to unfold so quickly that they rushed to give him a lethal dose of poison in order to quickly get rid of a dangerous enemy who was becoming an increasingly prominent figure in public life Austria, after which he finally fell ill. It is in this aspect that one must look for an explanation for ordering a funeral mass. It was not for nothing that they rushed him to complete the ritual composition and demanded that he stop working when he switched to other compositions.

Who, after all, could this mysterious customer and such an influential gentleman be who ordered Mozart’s funeral mass?

Strange as it may seem, the customer of “Requiem” must be sought not in Austria, not in Europe itself, but far beyond their borders, in distant Russia and in the events with which it was so rich during the reign of Catherine the Great.

Count Walsegg zu Stuppach, most likely, was only an intermediary in ordering this funeral mass.

But what connection could exist at that time between the Austrian court conductor and the imperial composer - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Russia, so far from Vienna?

First of all, this is undoubtedly the wide popularity of Mozart in our country at that time. Mozart's fame in Russia began quite early, and by the end of the 18th century, apparently, was very significant. The earliest Russian listeners became acquainted with Mozart's music was in Vienna. It is known that at the end of 1781, the heir to the Russian throne, Pavel, with a very large retinue, was present at the competition between Mozart and Clementi as improvising pianists. Later, Russian travelers could hear Mozart's operas in Vienna.

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