Community Chorus to perform Mozart's Requiem April 29

The Skidmore Community Chorus will perform Mozart's Requiem in D minor, K. 626, at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

Few works in the history of classical music have inspired as much controversy and intrigue as the Mozart Requiem. Wild -- and in most cases, unsubstantiated -- rumors have been associated with the Requiem from its inception to the present. What is known is that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was commissioned to compose a Requiem by Count Franz von Walsegg (1763-1827) for the count's wife. Based upon the paper and ink used for Mozart's autograph, it appears the composer did not begin work on the Requiem until mid-September 1791. The composer became ill and was bedridden by Nov. 20 Mozart died five minutes before 1 a.m. Dec. 5, 1791, with the Requiem unfinished. 

Skidmore Choral Director Katie Gardiner offers her insights on the chorus and the music.

"Preparing the Mozart Requiem with the Skidmore Community Chorus has been an absolute joy. Our ensemble includes singers that run the gamut of experience, ranging from those who have never sung in a chorus in their lives to people who have prepared and performed the Mozart Requiem on seven different occasions! Our students major in everything the college offers. Our community members' occupations include many professions, stay-at-home parents, and some exceptional high school students.It is a wonderfully eclectic mix, to which every person contributes something special and unique," she said.

Gardiner said that rehearsing the work has been "tremendously rewarding."

She added, "In making artistic decisions,I had the opportunity to study a facsimile of the original manuscript and the transcription in Leopold Nowak's Neue Ausgabe s mtlicher Werke, as well as the orchestrations in completions by five other composers. For Sunday's performance the chorus is using the S ssmayr completion with alterations inspired by the original manuscript; the contributions of Ebyler, Freyst dler, and Stadler; and more recent completions by Beyer, Landon, and Maunder.There is a lot of freedom in preparing this particular piece.Our goal throughout this semester has been to bring drama and life to this Requiem."

Admission for the April 29, 2 p.m. Skidmore Community Chorus concert is free for Skidmore students, $7 adults, and $5 seniors. For advance reservations click here or call the Zankel box office (518) 580-5321 for more information. The Zankel Music Center is wheelchair accessible and offers listening devices for the hearing impaired. For more information, please click here.