# Ask your questions about the Requiem form in classical music



## regenmusic

I realize one could go to a Wikipedia but thought I would post this for any questions for understanding the Requiem in classical music.

Wikipedia has a good article but it's fairly awkward to ask a question about Requiems in the context of other threads. 

Perhaps no one has any questions. I was a little perplexed about some things but now I'm reading the wikipedia article it's a lot clearer. The translations of the major ones are probably all online


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## CDs

I'll ask a question.
How common is/was it to play a requiem at a person's funeral?


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## regenmusic

I am not sure what the historical answer for that question is. I was wondering if there were ever any requiems that were not on the sombre side.


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## Pugg

regenmusic said:


> I am not sure what the historical answer for that question is. I was wondering if there were ever any requiems that were not on the sombre side.


Are you kidding us? 
A none sombre requiem?

It's about death


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## regenmusic

Pugg said:


> Are you kidding us?
> A none sombre requiem?
> 
> It's about death


OK, you know what they say that some cultures have happy funerals....that's what made me think of it.


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## Taggart

CDs said:


> I'll ask a question.
> How common is/was it to play a requiem at a person's funeral?


A requiem is generally a Roman Catholic ceremony although both Schütz and Praetorius wrote Lutheran versions. There are various 17th century settings of the funeral sentences from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and some High Anglicans use or adapt the Roman Catholic rite.

Funerals generally take place on a weekday so unless you have a permanent organist and choir, as at a cathedral for example, it would be unusual to have any major form of sung requiem. Secondly, the post Vatican II changes to the liturgy mean a) that the use of Latin is less common and b) the emphasis is more on the worship of God and the commendation of the deceased to God with a greater emphasis on salvation and the resurrection of the body, rather than on sorrow and grief.

Having said that, you will find a full sung solemn requiem in plain chant form in some churches which prefer more conservative approaches to the liturgy. The use of a full sung requiem in Classical form would usually be reserved for a major Catholic dignitary at a major church.


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## DavidA

I believe Roman Catholics would have a requiem mass for the dead but usually spoken not sung at the funeral. I believe Verdi's requiem was not allowed the churches as it was considered too theatrical.


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## DavidA

regenmusic said:


> OK, you know what they say that some cultures have happy funerals....that's what made me think of it.


I was n West Africa and passing what looked like a family celebration / booze up with loud music and plenty of booze and dancing. When offered a drink I asked what the occasion was and was told it was a funeral!


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## CDs

Anybody care to explain Mozart's Requiem? Like how much did he actually compose of it? I love the piece but every time I listen to it I can't help but think that if he had composed all of it how much different it would have been.
Also why did he start to write it?


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

Pugg said:


> Are you kidding us?
> A none sombre requiem?
> 
> It's about death


Fauré's requiem isn't particularly sombre - indeed, on balance, it's quite uplifting throughout, which is perhaps what a requiem really ought to be... eternal peace and all that


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