Customer Reviews

Opus Ultimum: The Story of the Mozart Requiem

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It is high time the renowned Mozart authority, Daniel Leeson, put his learned comments down for the rest of us to enjoy. His description and factual presentation of how and why we got Mozart's Requiem available to us is both disappointing and thrilling. Disappointing to learn it was not all the Requiem was written by Mozart and thrilling to learn that most of the architecture was indeed written by the master. Daniel's research was impressively detailed and exhaustive and his presentation was understandable to those of us who are not familiar with music composition. A really great read for those who are Mozart lovers.

This book is a good, solid starting-point for research into Mozart's 'Requiem' - or, I suppose, a good stand-alone for anyone who wants an uncomplicated history of this complicated musical creation. For the most part, I found Leeson's approach easily digestible and even-handed, and his language will serve non-musicians as well as the better musically educated. It might have been nice to have had some of the key players in the story fleshed out a bit more, but really, the book does what it says it will do. Can't fault that.

(Opening the envelope): Name three things that are cursed!
The death of a beautiful, young noblewoman, the death of a young and great musical genius, the vilification of his widow as a scheming, greedy sex-kitten, the personal embarrassment of the Requiem's commissioner, the paralyzing stroke of the composer who first attempted its completion as he led it in a public performance, and the premature death by disease and alcoholism of the man who actually completed it, along with his posthumous denigration as a 4th-rate talent who should have left well enough alone--the world has greatly benefitted by the Requiem's presence as a work of art, but it brought little good to those associated with its creation and first performances.
Leeson's book is an excellent resource for anyone with an interest in Mozart's final masterpiece, whether that interest is casual or deeply academic. Starting with the circumstances of the commission made by Walsegg in the sumer of 1791 and working through to the "Süßmayrs" of the late 20th century, very little of the history and circumstances of this work are not covered. One unique aspect of this history is that Leeson gives Süßmayr his due: in spite of the fact that without Süßmayr there is no Mozart Requiem, the poor man has been vilified by conductors, critics and scholars. While not pretending that Süßmayr is a talent on par with Mozart's (indeed, whose talent is?) he brings him out as a human being, inspired to perform the task to the best of his abilities, with only the best of intentions, undeserving of the dismissive and insulting treatment critics and most scholars have given his contribution. He analyses the content of each page Mozart left behind in a most interesting fashion (although mention of Handel's Funeral Music for Queen Anne, from which Mozart derived a good deal of material, is minimal, as is mention of the influence of Michael Haydn's Requiem for Archbishop Schrattenbach, which Mozart had performed at Salzburg).
His analysis of the subsequent revisions of the Requiem seems thorough although he states that Beyer (Edition Kunzelmann) only made changes to Süßmayr's orchestration, making it possible to perform he work from 'standard' vocal scores; this is not the case, although they are not many, Beyer did indeed make some changes to the vocal parts, most notably in the "Lacrimosa." Leeson also states that Maunder ejected the Süßmayr movements of the Requiem entirely from his edition; they actually are included, but as an appendix.
There is even a section of fiction inspired by the murky circumstances surrounding the creation of the Requiem (Schaffer, playwright of "Amadeus," was not the first!), frankly one 19th century story is so florid in its prose it is rather difficult not to smile while reading even though terrible tragedy is described (the dying Mozart, fainting repeatedly over the composition of the Requiem, requests his daughter sing "the hymn so beloved by your late mother" and as the young girl accompanies herself at the piano and sings, he expires by the end of her song--Mozart had two sons, no daughter, and of course, his wife survived him).
A very good book, written in language that even a casual lover of music would understand and thorough enough for most musical scholars. Leeson admits his book will not put the Requiem controversies to rest-- that simply can never happen--but hopes to spark further lively and productive discussion of this most embattled of masterpieces. Highly recommended.