The mystery of Mozart's unfinished Requiem

The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, is a requiem mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed part of the Requiem in Vienna in late 1791, but it was unfinished at his death on 5 December the same year. Composer Franz Xaver Süssmayr was the first to attempt a completed version in 1792, which he delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had commissioned the piece to commemorate his wife's death. Süssmayr was not the genius that Mozart was, and many people think his interpretation of how to finish the death mass falls short of Mozart's intentions. Nonetheless, it has become the standard version, and appears on most concert performances and recordings. There have been may other attempts by other composers; right now I'm listening to Robert Levin's completion on period instruments, which is a quite a trip. These two versions could not be further apart in ideas and intent, but I'm having a great time listening to both.

Would anyone care to theorize how Mozart would have completed the death mass / Requiem, and offer their thoughts on which editions one should listen to? Include a link or image if possible, but do share your thoughts in any case.

 

I have the Pearlman version with the Levin completion shown in your lower photo and think it’s fantastic. Sorry, I don’t have anything more deep to offer. Except perhaps that the Confutatis on this version especially is one badass piece of music.

 

I like them both very much, but I find myself listening to Pearlman's version of the Levin completion for the second time in a row. It's more concise, more to the point, and more suspenseful. It has the advantage of an added sweetness and resonance coming out of the period instruments but also a lack of ... something, what is it? It may be that Süssmayr's completion is too long, too dragged out: I could be wrong, however, since it's all new to me. But I agree Pearlman's and Levin's Confutatis (lasting only 9 seconds longer than the other) is one badass piece of music.

 

I'm going to further explore Boston Baroque's recordings under Martin Pearlman.

I would like to find more Mozart on period instruments.

 

I'm thinking that if Mozart had finished the Requiem there would be more instrumentation. This is what's missing from Robert Levin's completion.

If anyone knows of other completions and / or period instrument recordings do tell us here.

It would also be interesting to hear the Requiem in a truly unfinished state -- without the new music or repairs.

 

You can try Franz Beyer edition. Frieder Bernius and Barockorchester Stuttgart use this version and I like their interpretation very much.

 

The Mozart 225 box set has a performance of Mozart’s incomplete score. Confutatis is a skeleton and Lacrimosa cuts off within a few bars. Both are emotionally challenging to listen to thinking of what could have been.

From the second book in the box set: