The Great Requiems – Mozart, Verdi, Brahms and Fauré

Following the previous lecture, which dealt with the Catholic Mass over the years, this time we will touch upon the Requiem. What is the relation between the Requiem and the Mass and what sets them apart? What is the origin of the Requiem’s text? Was it written for the dead or for the living? Is it meant to scare or comfort? What makes the great and famous requiem exciting? What makes Fauré’s Requiem unique? Is Brahms’ German Requiem really a Requiem?