# What is the biggest disparity in Süssmayr's completion of the Requirm?



## GucciManeIsTheNewWebern (Jul 29, 2020)

How would you ascertain this from a compositional/theorrtical perspective? Of course, Süssmayr was working with sketches given to him by Mozart on his deathbed, but inevitably his comparative lack of skill would have to come through right? What are the glaring details in the score that would indicate it was finished by the hand of someone else, or is it more of an overall feeling that it is less inspired and well crafted/developed?


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

I wrote about it in other threads, I'll copy and paste what I wrote:

I find the way to expand the Lacrimosa too artificially "melodramatic" (feels rather 'devoid' of the sense of control and intricacies of chromatic part-writing we would expect from Mozart), and the Agnus dei too "static". The concluding fugue in the sanctus and benedictus is disproportionately short with respect to the size of the mass. (compare K.192, K.194 with K.167, K.262, you'll see what I mean). I think Levin did a great job fixing it, and developing on the Amen sketch in a way that resembles K.222.

The beginning of "Agnus dei" is pretty much "qui tollis peccata mundi" from K.220 and K.66 and string figures of K.341 mixed together.
And from there, it seems as though Sussmayr doesn't quite know how to continue on , so it gets static: 




I think these are way better than that cheap "melodrama":
9:20 , 21:10 , 22:30
7:30 , 13:50 , 14:30

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I have certain reservations, especially for the parts "butchered" by Sussmayr. They just feel so "wrong". The Lacrimosa (and Concerto for flute and harp K.299) gets my vote for Mozart's most overrated work. The sanctus and benedictus should contain more darker moods, like Michael Haydn's.

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I just don't think this is how Mozart is supposed to sound like:




 (2:07 ~ the end; especially the bit at 2:45)

consider:




 (17:43 ~ 19:16)




 (13:14 ~ 15:20)




 (8:35 ~ 9:30)




 (21:10 ~ 23:04)
pay attention to the part 22:39~ 23:04

"...He leaves us on a cliff hanger" -Charles Hazlewood


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## level82rat (Jun 20, 2019)

A similar thread discussing this
https://www.talkclassical.com/66774-there-difference-quality-between.html?highlight=


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