-I begin with an excerpt from a music history book: "Historical Analysis of Western Music Volume V: Mozart/Haydn/Beethoven"
"Mozart was found at his desk unconcious. He was taken to bed, and the physician who had been summoned soon announced that Mozart was seeing his last days. He had already known that he was dying of illness. To his pupil, Süßmayer, he explained precisely how the Requiem was to be brought to completion. Shortly before his last breath left him, he attempted to sing parts of his last great work. On 5 December 1791, he said farewell to his family and turned his face to the wall; shortly afterwards he was dead." -Burkhart
That passage alone dispells many of the tales weaved by gossips of the time, as well as the more modern "Amadeus". While it is a wonderful film, it is filled with misconceptions based upon the various rumors that likely went around in Vienna shortly after Mozart's death. (A sort of word of mouth tabloid journal of sorts, if you will.)
Anyhow, the piece that you should be able to hear as you read this page is part of Mozart's astounding Requiem. To be more precise, it is a rendition of the movement "Confutatis" which is my personal favorite.
The Requiem was Mozart's last great gift to the world, and is one of his most recognized pieces. Granted, he was not the one to finish it, but it is wonderful all the still. To be more precise, his student Süßmayer (pronounced "soos-my-er") declared that he was wholly responsible for the "Sanctus", "Benedictus", and "Agnus Dei", but no one has been able to verify his statement. However, we do know that Süßmayer made use of Mozart's own music in the "Lux aeterna" and "Cum sanctis tuis" and that he orchestrated everything from the "Dies irae" to the "Hostias". Together, the two put together one of the most mysterious and moving pieces known in today's world. And so, the curtain falls on the tale of the life of the great Wolfgang Amadeus, and though we will never see another quite like him, his marvelous compositions will travel with humanity, through all its years.
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