Today in Music (1791): Mozart died, leaving his unfinished Requiem surrounded by myth

Requiem Mass in D Minor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer)

Composed: 1791 First performed: ? Charted: -- Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classical > choral music

Parts/Movements: Requiem aeternam Kyrie Dies irae Tuba mirum Rex tremendae Recordare Confutatis Lacrimosa Domine Deus Hostias Sanctus Benedictus Aguns Dei Lux aeterna Average Duration: 51:33

Rating: 4.502 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings) Quotable: “The sublimest achievement that the modern period has contributed to the church.” – E.T.A. Hoffmann WK Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Work: Mozart’s “deathbed composition…ascended to truly iconic status. It did so despite fundamental mysteries of its composition and even its authenticity.” TD His widow, Constanze, “was responsible for a number of stories…including the claims that Mozart received the commission from a mysterious messenger who did not reveal the commissioner’s identity, and that Mozart came to believe that he was writing the requiem for his own funeral.” WK “A tangled skein of myths and fairy tales imagine the deathbed genius collapsing upon his manuscript (myths powerfully reinforced by the 1984 film Amadeus), but many facts about the piece are clear.” TD “The Countess von Walsegg passed away in February 1791. The Count commissioned a requiem mass from Mozart via a clerk (the ‘Grey Messenger’ of Requiem-mythology). Mozart accepted the job for his unknown patron, having desired to compose some ‘higher form of church music.’” TD In October and November of 1791, Mozart worked on the piece, TD “but it was unfinished at his death on 5 December the same year.” WK Constanze “arranged for his friends and pupils to complete the other movements.” TD “A completed version dated 1792 by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg.” WK “It cannot be shown to what extent Süssmayr may have depended on now lost ‘scraps of paper’ for the remainder; he later claimed the Sanctus and Agnus Dei as his own.” WK “Walsegg probably intended to pass the Requiem off as his own composition, as he is known to have done with other works. This plan was frustrated by a public benefit performance for…Constanze.” WK “Mozart’s Requiem contains five sections, each capped by a fugue: ‘Requiem/Kyrie,’ ‘Sequence (Dies Irae),’ ‘Offertory,’ ‘Sanctus,’ and ‘Agnus Dei.’ Throughout, choral writing drives Mozart’s music; even the four soloists rarely sing alone. The darkly colored orchestra supports the choir with often vivid motives. This pictorial aspect is most evident in the Sequence: Tuba mirum (solo trombone), Rex tremendae (regal dotted-rhythms), Confutatis (fiery accompaniment), and Lachrymosa (sighing strings). Not only do individual movements display an extraordinary level of motivic unity, Mozart carefully creates motivic relationships across the entire Requiem. The very first melody sung by the basses (Requiem aeternam), for instance, is repeated at the very end and also echoes throughout the work; the opening melody of ‘Dies irae’ translates into major mode to open the Sanctus. Mozart is never afraid, however, of acknowledging his debt to earlier traditions of church music. His fugues deliberately reference Bach, and in the first movement alone he quotes from Michael Haydn’s Requiem, Handel’s funeral anthem for Queen Caroline, Messiah, and the Gregorian chant known as the ‘Pilgrim’s Tone.’” TD

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart TD Timothy Dickey, All Music Guide WK Wikipedia Last updated 12/4/2023.

Today in Music (1791): Mozart's Clarinet Concerto premiered

Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Composed: 1789-1791 First Performed: October 16, 1791 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classical > concerto

Parts/Movements: Allegro (in A major and in sonata form) Adagio (in D major and in ternary form) Rondo: Allegro (in A major and in rondo form) Average Duration: 28:34

Rating: 4.712 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto was written for clarinetist Anton Stadler. Work started in 1789 and the piece was completed in October 1791, less than two months before his death. AM It was “his final purely instrumental work.” WK The work was initially intended for basset horn, AM “as Anton Stadler was also a virtuoso basset horn player,” WK but was revised for clarinet. AM “Until the mid 20th century musicologists did not know that the only version of the concerto written by Mozart’s hand had not been heard since Stadler’s lifetime…Attempts were made to reconstruct the original version, and new basset clarinets have been built for the specific purpose of performing Mozart's concerto and clarinet quintet. There can no longer be any doubt that the concerto was composed for a clarinet with an extended range.” WK Thus “the version widely known today differs from the work Mozart produced for Stadler, since the original version was written for an instrument with an extended bass compass that allowed Stadler to demonstrate his famed ability to play low notes.” AM The concerto was premiered by Stadler On October 16, 1791, “at his benefit concert in the Prague Theatre” AM to a generally positive reception. WK “The Berlin Musikalisches Wochenblatt noted in January 1792, ‘Herr Stadeler, a clarinettist from Vienna. A man of great talent and recognised as such at court... His playing is brilliant and bears witness to his assurance.’” WK It “is notable for its delicate interplay between soloist and orchestra, and for the lack of overly extroverted display on the part of the soloist (no cadenzas are written out in the solo part).” WK “Cast in the usual three movements, the gentle, nostalgic lyricism of much of the Clarinet Concerto has drawn such epithets as ‘valedictory’ and ‘autumnal,’ an assessment that downplays the extraordinary vigor and verve of this inspired work.” AM

Resources and Related Links: AM AllMusic.com review by Brian Robins WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: Last updated 2/23/2026.

Today in Music (1791): Mozart's The Magic Flute premiered

Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Composed: 1791 First Performed: September 30, 1791 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classical > opera

Parts/Movements: Overture. Adagio - Allegro Zu Hilfe! zu Hilfe! sonst bin ich verloren! (Introduction) Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn... Zum Leiden bin ich auserkoren Hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! hm! Du feines Täubchen, nur herein! Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fühlen Zum Ziele führt dich diese Bahm (Finale) March. Adagio O Isis und Osiris Bewahret euch vor Weibertücke: dies ist des Bundes erste Pflicht Wie? wie? wie? Ihr an diesem Schrekkenort? Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen In diesen heil'gen Hallen Seid uns zum zweiten Mal willkommen Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden, ewig hin der Liebe Glück O Isis und Osiris, welche Wonne! Soll ich dich, Teurer, nicht mehr sehn? Ihr werdet froh euch wiedersehn! Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen wünscht Papageno sich Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden (Finale) Average Duration: 2:09:23

Rating: 4.677 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings) Quotable: “Among the greatest human documents” and “one of the greatest operas of the entire repertoire” – AllMusic.com Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Work: The Magic Flute is a two-act opera with both singing and spoken dialogue, or libretto, by Emanuel Schikaneder. Jakob August Libeskind’s story “Lulu or the Magic Flute” is considered a possible source for Schikaneder’s libretto. AM “Although overwhelmed by many adversities, Mozart found great joy in working” AM on the opera. It premiered at Schikaneder’s Theater auf der Wieden in the suburbs of Vienna on September 30, 1791. WK The “story about good and evil” AM tells about a high priest named Sarastro who abducts Pamina, the daughter of the evil Queen of the Night. The queen sends Prince Tamino to rescue Pamina. Tamino not only falls in love with Pamina, but decides to join Sarastro, who he accepts “as the incarnation of truth and goodness.” AM “Tamino and Pamina undergo severe trials of initiation, which end in triumph, with the Queen and her cohorts vanquished.” WK “Tamino's counterpart is Papageno…whose earthiness counterbalances Tamino's idealism,” AM “fails the trials completely but is rewarded anyway with the hand of…Papagena,” WK “a female version of himself.” AM “The Magic Flute has been called a Masonic opera: both librettist and composer were Masons, and the opera abounds with Masonic symbolism, culminating in the triumph over light over darkness. Although the Masonic flavor of The Magic Flute is undeniable, what makes it a great work of art is Mozart's unique ability to translate his humanistic ideals into music of extraordinary beauty and evocativeness. The fundamental theme of this opera is love, a theme to which Mozart fully dedicates his entire genius. To the listener, Mozart's ode to love brings eighteenth century opera in its full splendor. Not only is the music…enchanting and invigorating, but it also effectively coalesces with the story to create a powerful, convincing work of art.” AM

Reviews: AM AllMusic.com review by Rovi Staff WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Links: Last updated 2/23/2026.

Today in Music (1791): Mozart completed his final concerto

Piano Concertos (27) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer)

Composed: 1767-1791 Last Concerto Completed: January 15, 1791 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: classical > concertos > piano

Concertos (Year of Completion) [Approximate Length of Work]: No. 1 in F major, K. 37 (April 1767) [16:00] No. 2 in B flat major, K. 39 (April 1767) [15:00] No. 3 in D major, K. 40 (April 1767) [13:00] No. 4 in G major, K. 41 (April 1767) [14:00] No. 5 in D major, K. 175 (December 1773) [22:00] No. 6 in B♭ major, K. 238 (January 1776) [21:00] No. 7 in F major, K. 242 for three pianos (February 1776) [25:00] No. 8 in C major, K. 246 (April 1776) [23:30] No. 9 in E♭ major, K. 271 (January 1777) [33:30] No. 10 in E♭ major, K. 365/316a for two pianos (1779) [25:00] No. 11 in F major, K. 413/387a (1782–1783) [22:30] No. 12 in A major, K. 414/385p (1782) [26:30] No. 13 in C major, K. 415/387b (1782–1783) [28:30] No. 14 in E♭ major, K. 449 (February 9, 1784) [22:30] No. 15 in B♭ major, K. 450 (March 15, 1784) [25:30] No. 16 in D major, K. 451 (March 22, 1784) [22:30] No. 17 in G major, K. 453 (April 12, 1784) [29:45] No. 18 in B♭ major, K. 456 (September 30, 1784) [29:00] No. 19 in F major, K. 459 (December 11, 1784) [27:45] No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 (February 10, 1785) [29:00] No. 21 in C major, K. 467 (March 9, 1785) [26:00] No. 22 in E♭ major, K. 482 (December 16, 1785) [35:00] No. 23 in A major, K. 488 (March 2, 1786) [27:00] No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 (March 24, 1786) [29:45] No. 25 in C major, K. 503 (December 4, 1786) [32:30] No. 26 in D major, K. 537 (February 24, 1788) [30:45] No. 27 in B♭ major, K. 595 (January 5, 1791) [29:30]

Rating: 4.264 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Concertos: Mozart wrote his 27 original concertos for piano and orchestra over a span of 25 years. He composed many of them to play himself in the Vienna concert series of 1784-86. WK They are recognized as “among his greatest achievements.” WK The first four concertos were based on piano sonatas composed by others, a common practice in operas of the day. They were arranged in 1767 when Mozart was eleven. The next six, known as the Salzburg concertos, were written from 1773-79. No. 5 “was his first real effort in the genre, and one that proved popular at the time.” WK No. 6 was the first “introduce new thematic material in the piano's first solo section.” WK The seventh and eight concertos “are generally not regarded as demonstrating much of an advance, although No. 7 is quite well known.” WK “Nine months after No. 8, however, Mozart produced one of his early masterpieces,” WK the ninth concerto, known as the “Jenamy” (formerly “Jeunehomme).” WK “This work shows a decisive advance in organization of the first movement, as well as demonstrating some irregular features.” WK No. 10, the end of his Salzburg period, was written for two pianos, the presence of which “disturbs the ‘normal’ structure of piano-orchestra interaction.” WK Nos. 11-13 are known as the Early Vienna concertos. Mozart wrote them in the autumn of 1782, about 18 months after his arrival in Vienna, “for his own use in subscription concerts.” WK He described the trio of concertos in a letter to his father as “a happy medium between what is too easy and too difficult; they are very brilliant, pleasing to the ear, and natural, without being vapid.” WK They “are all rather different from one another and are relatively intimate works despite the mock grandeur of the last one.” WK That one, No. 13, “is an ambitious, perhaps even overambitious work, that introduces the first, military theme in a canon in an impressive orchestral opening.” WK Nos. 14-25, written between 1784 and 1786, are known as the Major Vienna concertos. They represent “a period of creativity that has certainly never been surpassed in piano concerto production.” WK No. 14 “is the first instrumental work by Mozart that shows the strong influence of his operatic writing.” WK No. 15 “shows a reversion to an earlier, galant style.” WK No 16. “is a not very well known work…The first movement is broadly "symphonic" in structure and marks a further advance in the interactions between piano and orchestra.” WK Nos. 17-19 “can be considered to form a group, as they all share certain features, such as the same rhythm in the opening.” WK No. 17 “was written for Barbara Ployer and is famous in particular for its last movement.” WK No. 18 “was for a long time believed to have been written for the blind pianist Maria Theresa von Paradis to play in Paris.” WK No. 19 “is sunny with an exhilarating finale.” WK The year 1785 was “marked by the contrasting pair…[of Nos. 20 and 21] remarkably, written within the same month. These two works, one the first minor-key concerto Mozart wrote…and a dark and stormy work, and the other sunny, are among the most popular works Mozart produced.” WK No. 22 “is slightly less popular, possibly because it lacks the striking themes of the first two.” WK “In 1786, Mozart managed to write two more masterpieces in one month.” WK No. 23 was “one of the most consistently popular of his concertos, notable particularly for its poignant slow movement in F♯ minor, the only work he wrote in the key. He followed it with No. 24…is a dark and passionate work, made more striking by its classical restraint.” WK “The final work of the year, No. 25…is one of the most expansive of all classical concertos, rivaling Beethoven's fifth piano concerto.” WK This “was the last of the regular series of concertos Mozart wrote for his subscription concerts.” WK 26-27 are referred to as the Later concertos. No. 26, “completed in February 1788, has a mixed reputation and possibly is the revision of a smaller chamber concerto into a larger structure.” WK No. 27, the last concerto, “was the first work from the last year of Mozart's life: it represents a return to form for Mozart in the genre.” WK

Resources and Related Links: KG Kristen Grimshaw, AllMusic.com WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: Last updated 2/23/2026.