Episode 6: The mystery of Mozart’s Requiem

In 1791 a masked figure knocked at Mozart’s door. He wanted to commission a piece from the great composer – a mass for the dead. There was one condition, Mozart could never know who his client was. Mozart agreed and started work on the piece. But he soon became ill – had he been poisoned? Mozart began to fear he was writing the music for his own funeral. He died before he could finish the piece. Who was the mysterious stranger? And what’s the real story behind Mozart’s Requiem?
 
Original music was written by Thomas Hewitt Jones (@thewittjones). Tim Lihoreau can be found on Twitter (@TimLihoreau) and the Classic FM team can be found @ClassicFM. You can get in touch about the show at classicfm.com and find out more about this episode at classicfm.com/casenotes
The recordings featured in this episode are:

Mozart: Requiem
Sophie Karthäuser (soprano), Marie-Claude Chappuis (mezzo), Maximilian Schmitt (tenor), Johannes Weisser (baritone); Freiburger Barockorchester, RIAS Kammerchor/René Jacobs
 
Mozart: The Queen of the Night's aria from The Magic Flute
Sabine Devieilhe, Pygmalion/Raphaël Pichon
 
Franz Anton Hoffmeister: Symphony in G major 'La festa de la Pace 1791' II. Poco Adagio
London Mozart Players/Matthias Bamert
 
Mozart: Piano Concerto No.25, III. Allegretto 
Piotr Anderszewski, Chamber Orchestra of Europe
 
Mozart: Music from The Marriage of Figaro 
Fanie Antonelou (Susanna), Christian van Horn (Figaro); MusicAeterna/Teodor Currentzis
 
Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito
RIAS Kammerchor, Freiburger Barockorchester/René Jacobs 
 
Salieri: Sinfonia in D major, 'La Veneziana' III. Presto; La locandiera III. Presto
London Mozart Players/Matthias Bamert