requiem
A musical composition honoring the dead, based on the Catholic Mass for the Dead.
In Depth
A requiem is a musical setting of the Catholic Mass for the Dead (Missa pro defunctis), named after its opening words: Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine (Grant them eternal rest, O Lord). The standard sections include the Introit, Kyrie, Dies Irae, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Communion.
The greatest requiems transcend their liturgical origins to become profound statements about mortality and loss. Mozart's Requiem, left unfinished at his death, carries an almost mythic significance. Verdi's Requiem is essentially a dramatic opera on death. Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem uses German biblical texts rather than the Latin Mass. Fauré's gentle, consoling Requiem emphasizes rest rather than judgment.
Mozart died while composing his Requiem. The mysterious stranger who commissioned it was later revealed to be a count who planned to pass the work off as his own.