Mozart: Requiem at St James's Episcopal Church

What is it about Mozart’s Requiem that makes it a perennial favorite? From the time it was completed in 1792 by Mozart’s student Franz Süssmayer, it has never been out of the repertoire. Perhaps the appeal lies in its sheer beauty and the intimacy, not always apparent in large-scale performances, with which Mozart sets this timeless text. With characteristic genius and grace, Mozart connects musical and spiritual realms, and by overlaying the natural restraints of neoclassicism with the passion of Romanticism, he depicts in music the peace of eternal rest alongside the bone-chilling fear of eternal torment. Composed just as Mozart was reaching the height of his creative powers, the Requiem offers exquisite melodies, rich orchestration, and a dramatic sweep that remain compelling after more than two centuries. The program also includes Michael Tippett's "Five Spirituals" from A Child of Our Time, stunning arrangements of African-American spirituals that form the structural pillars of this World War II oratorio.