Lacrimosa (Requiem)

W. A. MozartK. 626

Key

Dm

Time

12/8

Tempo

♩=60

AO focus

AO3

Form

Lacrimosa — the eighth movement of the Requiem. Mozart wrote only the first eight bars of the choir part before he died; Süssmayr completed the rest. Slow 12/8 in D minor with rising chromatic gestures.

Teaching points

• Compositional history — Mozart's last notated bars. Discuss the ethics of completion (Süssmayr) and modern alternatives (Beyer, Levin, Maunder)
• Rising chromatic motif — semi-tones up the soprano line evoke weeping
• AO3: 12/8 = compound quadruple — explain how the metre's gentle rocking interacts with the wrenching harmony
• AO1: standard repertoire for school choirs from late November (All Souls / Remembrance) onwards