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Requiem for Bishop Cirilo Almario, in the Mass of Paul VI at Minor Basilica and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Malolos, Bulacan, 2016
The Requiem, in the Tridentine Mass, celebrated annually for Louis XVI and victims of the French Revolution, in the crypt of Strasbourg Cathedral, 2013
Requiem Mass for Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria at St. Catherine's Cathedral, St. Petersburg, published in a Russian newspaper, 1914

A Requiem (Latin: rest) or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead (Latin: Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead (Latin: Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is usually celebrated in the context of a funeral (where in some countries it is often called a Funeral Mass).[citation needed]

Musical settings of the propers of the Requiem Mass are also called Requiems, and the term has subsequently been applied to other musical compositions associated with death, dying, and mourning, even when they lack religious or liturgical relevance.

The term is also used for similar ceremonies outside the Catholic Church, especially in Western Rite Orthodox Christianity, the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in certain Lutheran churches. A comparable service, with a wholly different ritual form and texts, exists in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches as well as some Methodist churches.[1]

The Mass and its settings draw their name from the introit of the liturgy, which begins with the words Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine (Latin for "Eternal rest grant them, O Lord"), which is cited from 2 Esdras 2:34-35 — requiem is the accusative singular form of the Latin noun requies, "rest, repose".[2] The Roman Missal as revised in 1970 employs this phrase as the first entrance antiphon among the formulas for Masses for the dead, and it remains in use to this day.

Liturgical rite

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Tridentine Requiem Mass at Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini (Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims) church in Rome
Requiem Mass for Bishop Vitus Huonder celebrated by Bishop Bernard Fellay, SSPX at International Seminary of Saint Pius X in Écône, Switzerland, 2024

In earlier forms of the Roman Rite, some of which are still in use, a Requiem Mass differs in several ways from the usual Mass. Some parts that were of relatively recent origin, including some that have been excluded in the 1970 revision of the regular Mass, are omitted. Examples are the psalm Iudica at the start of Mass, the prayer said by the priest before reading the Gospel (or the blessing of the deacon, if a deacon reads it), and the first of the two prayers of the priest for himself before receiving Communion.[3] Other omissions include the use of incense at the Introit and the Gospel, the kiss of peace, lit candles held by acolytes when a deacon chants the Gospel, and blessings. There is no Gloria in excelsis Deo and no recitation of the Creed; the Alleluia chant before the Gospel is replaced by a Tract, as in Lent; and the Agnus Dei is altered. Ite missa est is replaced with Requiescant in pace (May they rest in peace); the Deo gratias response is replaced with Amen; and the final blessing for the congregation is omitted. Black was the obligatory liturgical colour of the vestments in the earlier forms (including the Missal of 1962), while in the renewed liturgy "the colour black may be used, where it is the practice, in Masses for the Dead".[4] The sequence Dies irae, recited or sung between the Tract and the Gospel, was an obligatory part of the Requiem Mass before the changes as a result of the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council. As its opening words Dies irae ("Day of wrath") indicate, this poetic composition speaks of the Day of Judgment in fearsome terms; it then appeals to Jesus for mercy. In the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, commemorations (i.e. collect, secret, and postcommunion of either lower-ranking liturgical feasts that occur on the same day or votive/seasonal commemorations) are absent from the liturgy; as a result, it is standard practice for a separate, smaller Requiem Missal containing only the rubrics and various Mass formularies for Masses for the dead to be used, rather than the full Missal containing texts that will never be used at Requiems.[4]

Roman Rite

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Black chasuble used in Requiem Masses

In the liturgical reforms of the mid-20th century in the Catholic Church's Roman Rite, there was a significant shift in the funeral rites used by the Church. The theme of sorrow and grief was also made to emphasise the whole community's worship of God in which the deceased is entrusted to God's mercy, based on trust in the salvation value of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.[5]

In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the Requiem Mass was sometimes termed a "Mass of the Resurrection"[6] or Mass of Christian Burial, although the former was never official terminology. In the official English ritual, Order of Christian Funerals, published by the Bishops of England and Wales in 1990, the title is given as "Funeral Mass". "Requiem Mass" remains a suitable title for other Masses for the dead and for the Funeral Mass itself (as the proper antiphons remain in force: Introit, "Eternal rest grant ... " / "Requiem æternam dona eis Domine"; Offertory, "Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed ... " / "Domine Iesu Christe, Rex gloriæ, libera animas ..."; Communion, "Let perpetual light shine ..." / "Lux æterna luceat eis, Domine..."). In keeping with those trends of the latter 21st century, the use of white vestments was made an allowable option by the Missal, though only by an indult; black remains the normal colour of all Requiem Masses, including Funeral Masses. Violet, a colour of penance, was also allowed by indult, since penance and reparation for the soul, presumably in Purgatory, is encouraged by the Church. The texts used for the liturgy underwent a similar change, and some of the new options for the readings reinforce an overall theme of Jesus' promise of eternal life.[7][non-primary source needed]

Requiem in other rites and churches

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Requiem is also used to describe any sacred composition that sets to music religious texts which would be appropriate at a funeral, or to describe such compositions for liturgies other than the Roman Catholic Mass. Among the earliest examples of this type are the German settings composed in the 17th century by Heinrich Schütz and Michael Praetorius, whose works are Lutheran adaptations of the Roman Catholic requiem, and which provided inspiration for the German Requiem by Brahms.[8]

Such works include:

Eastern Christian rites

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Main article: Memorial service (Orthodox)

In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, the requiem is the fullest form of memorial service (Greek: μνημόσυνο, Slavonic: Opelo). The normal memorial service is a greatly abbreviated form of Matins, but the Requiem contains all of the psalms, readings, and hymns normally found in the All-Night Vigil (which combines the Canonical Hours of Vespers, Matins and First Hour), providing a complete set of propers for the departed. The full requiem will last around three-and-a-half hours. In this format it more clearly represents the original concept of parastas, which means literally, "standing throughout (the night)." Often, there will be a Divine Liturgy celebrated the next morning with further propers for the departed.

Because of their great length, a full Requiem is rarely served. However, at least in the Russian liturgical tradition, a Requiem will often be served on the eve before the Glorification (canonization) of a saint, in a special service known as the "Last Panikhida".

Anglicanism

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"Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts" redirects here. For setting of the funeral sentence by Purcell, see Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts (Purcell).

The Book of Common Prayer contained no Requiem Mass, but instead a service named "The Order for the Burial of the Dead". Since the liturgical reform movement, provision has been made for a Eucharist to be celebrated at a funeral in various BCPs used in the various Provinces of the Anglican Communion. Prior to these additions, Anglo-Catholics or High Church Anglicans often incorporated parts of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass as part of a funeral service — typically passages from the Ordinary of the Mass. Within this service are several texts with rubrics stating that they should be said or sung by the priest or clerks. The first few of these texts are found at the beginning of the service, while the rest are prescribed for the burial itself. These texts are typically divided into seven, and collectively known as "funeral sentences". Composers who have set the Anglican burial service to music include William Croft, Thomas Morley, Thomas Tomkins, Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell. The text of these seven sentences, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, is as follows:

  • I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (John 11:25-26)
  • I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:25-27)
  • We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. (1 Timothy 6:7 and Job 1:21)
  • Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. (Job 14:1-2)
  • In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. (Media vita in morte sumus)
  • Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee.
  • I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: even so saith the Spirit: for they rest from their labours. (Revelation 14:13)

Music

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Main article: Music for the Requiem Mass

The Requiem Mass is notable for the large number of musical compositions that it has inspired, including settings by Mozart (though uncompleted),[9] Verdi, Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Brahms (from the vernacular German Lutheran Bible), Dvořák, Fauré, Duruflé, and others. Originally, such compositions were meant to be performed in liturgical service, with monophonic chant. Eventually, the dramatic character of the text began to appeal to composers to an extent that they made the requiem a genre of its own, and the compositions of composers such as Verdi are essentially concert pieces rather than liturgical works.

Many of the texts in the Requiem Mass have been set to music, including:

History of musical compositions

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Incipit of the Gregorian chant introit for a Requiem Mass, from the Liber Usualis

For many centuries the texts of the requiem were sung to Gregorian melodies. The Requiem by Johannes Ockeghem, written sometime in the latter half of the 15th century, is the earliest surviving polyphonic setting. There was a setting by the elder composer Dufay, possibly earlier, which is now lost: Ockeghem's may have been modelled on it.[10] Many early compositions reflect the varied texts that were in use in different liturgies around Europe before the Council of Trent standardised texts used in liturgies. The requiem of Brumel, circa 1500, is the first to include the Dies Iræ. In the early polyphonic settings of the Requiem, there is considerable textural contrast within the compositions themselves: simple chordal or fauxbourdon-like passages are contrasted with other sections of contrapuntal complexity, such as in the Offertory of Ockeghem's Requiem.[10]

In the 16th century, more and more composers set the Requiem Mass. In contrast to practice in setting the Mass Ordinary, many of these settings used a cantus-firmus technique, something which had become quite archaic by mid-century. In addition, these settings used less textural contrast than the early settings by Ockeghem and Brumel, although the vocal scoring was often richer, for example in the six-voice Requiem by Jean Richafort which he wrote for the death of Josquin des Prez.[10] Other composers before 1550 include Pedro de Escobar, Antoine de Févin, Cristóbal Morales, and Pierre de La Rue; that by La Rue is probably the second oldest, after Ockeghem's.

A portion of the manuscript of Mozart's Requiem, K 626 (1791), showing his heading for the first movement

Over 2,000 Requiem compositions have been composed to the present day. Typically the Renaissance settings, especially those not written on the Iberian Peninsula, may be performed a cappella (i.e. without necessary accompanying instrumental parts), whereas beginning around 1600 composers more often preferred to use instruments to accompany a choir, and also include vocal soloists. There is great variation between compositions in how much of liturgical text is set to music.

Most composers omit sections of the liturgical prescription, most frequently the Gradual and the Tract. Fauré omits the Dies iræ, while the very same text had often been set by French composers in previous centuries as a stand-alone work.

Sometimes composers divide an item of the liturgical text into two or more movements; because of the length of its text, the Dies iræ is the most frequently divided section of the text (as with Mozart, for instance). The Introit and Kyrie, being immediately adjacent in the actual Roman Catholic liturgy, are often composed as one movement.

Musico-thematic relationships among movements within a Requiem can be found as well.

Requiem in concert

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Beginning in the 18th century and continuing through the 19th, many composers wrote what are effectively concert works, which by virtue of employing forces too large, or lasting such a considerable duration, prevent them being readily used in an ordinary funeral service; the requiems of Gossec, Berlioz, Verdi, and Dvořák are essentially dramatic concert oratorios. A counter-reaction to this tendency came from the Cecilian movement, which recommended restrained accompaniment for liturgical music, and frowned upon the use of operatic vocal soloists.

Notable compositions

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Many composers have composed Requiems. Some of the most notable include the following (in chronological order):

Modern treatments

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In the 20th century the requiem evolved in several new directions. The genre of War Requiem is perhaps the most notable, which comprise compositions dedicated to the memory of people killed in wartime. These often include extra-liturgical poems of a pacifist or non-liturgical nature; for example, the War Requiem of Benjamin Britten juxtaposes the Latin text with the poetry of Wilfred Owen, Krzysztof Penderecki's Polish Requiem includes a traditional Polish hymn within the sequence, and Robert Steadman's Mass in Black intersperses environmental poetry and prophecies of Nostradamus. Holocaust Requiem may be regarded as a specific subset of this type. The Requiem Ebraico (Hebrew Requiem) (1945) by Austrian-American composer Eric Zeisl, a setting of Psalm 92 dedicated to the memory of the composer's father "and the other countless victims of the Jewish tragedy in Europe", is considered the first major work of Holocaust commemoration. John Foulds's A World Requiem was written in the aftermath of the First World War and initiated the Royal British Legion's annual festival of remembrance. Recent requiem works by Taiwanese composers Tyzen Hsiao and Ko Fan-long follow in this tradition, honouring victims of the February 28 Incident and subsequent White Terror.

The 20th century saw the development of the secular Requiem, written for public performance without specific religious observance, such as Max Reger's Requiem (1915), the setting of a German poem titled Requiem and dedicated to victims of World War I, and Frederick Delius's Requiem, completed in 1916 and dedicated to "the memory of all young Artists fallen in the war";[11] Paul Hindemith's When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd: A Requiem for Those We Love, commissioned in 1945 (premiered 1946) after the passing of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and based on Walt Whitman's elegy written after the passing of Abraham Lincoln; and Dmitry Kabalevsky's Requiem (Op. 72; 1962), a setting of a poem written by Robert Rozhdestvensky especially for the composition.[12]

Herbert Howells's unaccompanied Requiem uses Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd"), Psalm 121 ("I will lift up mine eyes"), "Salvator mundi" ("O Saviour of the world" in English), "Requiem aeternam" (two different settings), and "I heard a voice from heaven". John Rutter combines in his Requiem (1985) some of the parts of the Latin Requiem with two complete psalms, Psalm 130 "Out of the deep" and his earlier composition The Lord is my Shepherd, and juxtaposes more biblical verses within the Latin movements.

Some composers have written purely instrumental works bearing the title of Requiem, as famously exemplified by Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem. Hans Werner Henze's Das Floß der Medusa, written in 1968 as a requiem for Che Guevara, is properly speaking an oratorio; Henze's Requiem is instrumental but retains the traditional Latin titles for the movements. Igor Stravinsky's Requiem Canticles mixes instrumental movements with segments of the "Introit", "Dies irae", "Pie Jesu" and "Libera me".

See also

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Notes

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Requiem

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A requiem (Latin: Requiem, meaning "rest"), also known as the Requiem Mass or Missa pro defunctis, is a liturgical service in the specifically celebrated for the repose of the souls of the deceased, often performed during funerals or memorial observances. The name derives from the opening line of its introit, Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine ("Grant them eternal rest, O Lord"), which sets a tone of solemn prayer and remembrance. While rooted in the Tridentine Rite of the , the requiem has evolved beyond strict ecclesiastical use to encompass a rich tradition of musical compositions that blend sacred text with artistic expression. The history of the Requiem Mass traces back to early Christian funeral rites, with monophonic versions documented as early as the 10th century in , reflecting the Church's longstanding emphasis on commemorating the dead through prayer. Polyphonic musical settings emerged during the around 1450, with composers like and Pierre de la Rue pioneering elaborate choral works based on the fixed liturgical texts of the Ordinary and Proper of the for the Dead. By the late 17th and 18th centuries, the genre expanded through contributions from opera-influenced composers such as Francesco Feo and Adolf Hasse, incorporating dramatic elements that anticipated the Romantic era. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the requiem form diversified further, with some works departing from the traditional Latin text—such as Johannes Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem (1868), which uses German biblical passages for a more consoling, humanistic focus. Among the most renowned requiem compositions is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem in D minor, K. 626, begun in 1791 on an anonymous commission (later attributed to Count ) and left unfinished at the composer's death later that year, with completion by his student . Other landmark examples include Giuseppe Verdi's dramatic Messa da Requiem (1874), premiered in memory of ; Gabriel Fauré's serene and intimate Requiem (1887), emphasizing eternal light over judgment; Antonín Dvořák's opulent Requiem (1890); and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem (1962), which interweaves Latin Mass texts with war poetry by to protest violence. These works highlight the requiem's enduring versatility, serving as vehicles for personal , national mourning, and profound spiritual reflection across centuries.

Liturgical Foundations

Etymology and Definition

The term Requiem originates from the Latin introit of the Mass for the Dead, which begins with the words Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine ("Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord"), drawn from the Vulgate translation of 4 Esdras 2:34–35. This phrase, meaning "rest" or "repose," encapsulates the liturgical plea for peace in the afterlife, distinct from but related to the common epitaph requiescat in pace ("may he or she rest in peace"). A Requiem, or Missa pro defunctis (Mass for the deceased), is a specialized Eucharistic in Christian tradition, particularly the , offered to commend the souls of the faithful departed to God's mercy. It is celebrated on occasions such as funerals, death anniversaries, and (November 2), serving as a communal act of rather than a sacrament of initiation like . The practice of offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice for the dead dates to the early Christian era, with the earliest explicit mentions in 2nd-century sources, heavily influenced by Jewish customs of memorial prayers for the dead, as evidenced in 12:42–46. The earliest known collections of prayers for Masses for the dead appear in the Leonine Sacramentary (late 6th or early 7th century), containing five sets. The , compiled around 750 AD and traditionally attributed to (r. 492–496), includes more extensive formularies (13 sets) for the dead alongside votive and other rites. The full structured developed gradually in the . At its core, the Requiem emphasizes supplications for on the deceased, of the , and the hope of , reflecting where prayers aid the souls in purgation or paradise.

Text and Structure of the Requiem Mass

The Requiem Mass in the adheres to the standard structure of the , comprising the Introductory Rites, , , and Concluding Rites, while incorporating texts that invoke mercy and for the deceased. The Introductory Rites begin with the Introit and proceed through the greeting, , , and ; the features one or more readings, a responsorial psalm, an alleluia (omitted during certain seasons), , and a ; the includes the preparation of gifts, Eucharistic Prayer with Preface, , and Canon; and the Communion Rite encompasses the , sign of peace, , Communion, and Postcommunion prayer, followed by the final and dismissal. In the traditional (pre-1962 ), the structure includes specific elements for the dead: after the Introit, the ; then in the of the Word, a (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and Tract ("Absolve, Domine"), the sequence, (John :24-29 or 6:37-40), and optional . The proceeds without Gloria or , using a somber tone with violet vestments unless the deceased is a . Following the , the of the Dead rite includes prayers, sprinkling, and incensation over the coffin. Distinct from the ordinary Sunday Mass, the Requiem omits the Gloria in excelsis and the (), emphasizing supplication for the dead over praise and doctrinal affirmation, and employs a somber tone with violet vestments unless the deceased is a . Among the Ordinary chants, the remains unchanged, a Greek of mercy repeated in a ternary structure; the echoes the heavenly praise from :3 and 4:8 without alteration; and the is modified to beseech rest for the departed, substituting "miserere nobis" and "dona nobis pacem" with "dona eis requiem" (grant them rest) and "dona eis requiem sempiternam" (grant them eternal rest) in the final . The Proper texts, unique to the Requiem, provide its distinctive liturgical character. The Introit, drawn from 4 Esdras 2:34-35 and Psalm 64:2-5, opens with "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis" (Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them), followed by Psalm 64 and a repetition of the antiphon, setting a tone of hopeful repose. The Gradual, also centered on eternal rest, uses verses from Psalm 111:5-7: "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. In memoria aeterna erit justus: ab auditione mala non timebit" (Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing). The Offertory prayer, from Psalm 140 and 2 Maccabees 12, pleads: "Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni, et de profundo lacu: libera eas de ore draconis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum" (Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the bottomless pit: deliver them from the jaws of the dragon, lest hell swallow them up, lest they fall into darkness), culminating in an offering for their passage to life as promised to Abraham. The Communion antiphon, inspired by 4 Esdras 2:35 and Psalm 110:5, states: "Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis" (May eternal light shine upon them, O Lord, with Thy saints forever, because Thou art merciful. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them). Central to the Proper is the sequence, a medieval poem vividly depicting the , inserted after the in the of the Word. Attributed to the Franciscan friar around 1250, it draws on biblical imagery from , , the , and apocalyptic themes to evoke awe and plea for mercy, entering the Roman liturgy by the late 13th century and becoming standard in Requiem Masses by the 16th century. The full Latin text comprises 19 tercets in rhymed trochaic meter:
Dies irae, dies illa
solvet saeclum in favilla,
teste cum Sibylla. Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus! Tuba mirum sparget sonum,
per sepulcra regionum,
coget omnes ante thronum. Mors stupebit et natura,
cum resurget creatura,
judicanti responsura. Liber scriptus proferetur,
in quo totum continetur,
unde mundus judicetur. Judex ergo cum sedebit,
quidquid latet apparebit,
nil inultum remanebit. Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
quem patronum rogaturus,
cum vix justus sit securus? Rex tremendae majestatis,
qui salvandos salvas gratis,
salva me, fons pietatis. Recordare, Jesu pie,
quod sum causa tuae viae:
ne me perdas illa die. Quaerens me, sedisti lassus:
redemisti crucem passus:
tantus labor non sit cassus. Juste judex nationum,
supplicanti parce reatum:
solve me, fons pietatis. Qui Mariam absolvisti,
et latronem exaudisti,
mihi quoque spem dedisti. Preces meae non sunt dignae,
sed tu bonus, fac benigne,
ne perenni cremer igne. Inter oves locum praesta,
et ab haedis me sequestra,
statuens in parte dextra. Confutatis maledictis,
flammis acribus addictis:
voca me cum benedictis. Oro supplex et acclinis,
cor contritum quasi cinis:
gere curam mei finis. Lacrimosa dies illa,
qua resurget ex favilla
judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus:
pie Jesu Domine,
dona eis requiem. .
Historically, the Requiem's texts evolved through liturgical reforms; the remained obligatory in the Tridentine Rite until the post-Vatican II revisions, when the 1969 Ordo Exsequiarum (promulgated in 1970 as part of the ) simplified the rite by making the sequence optional, allowing greater flexibility in readings and prayers to highlight Christian hope in over eschatological dread, while retaining core Propers like the Introit and Communion.

Usage in Christian Traditions

Roman Catholic Rite

The Requiem Mass in the Roman Catholic rite traces its origins to the early medieval period, evolving from prayers for the dead into a distinct liturgical form by the , characterized by somber tones and chants emphasizing judgment and mercy. By the , it had become a standardized "Mass for the Dead," often referred to as the "" due to the use of black vestments symbolizing mourning and penitence, though violet was occasionally substituted in some regions for its penitential connotations. The (1545–1563) played a pivotal role in its development during the , aiming to unify against Protestant challenges; this culminated in Pope St. Pius V's 1570 , which codified the Tridentine Rite's Requiem, preserving its structure while reinforcing doctrinal clarity on and intercession for the deceased. In the pre-1970 Tridentine tradition, key customs underscored themes of sorrow and supplication, including black or violet vestments for the celebrant to evoke and . When the body was absent, a —a raised bier draped in black and covered with a pall—served as a symbolic representation of the deceased, positioned before the altar for incensation and prayers. The rite concluded with the over the body or , a non-Eucharistic featuring responsories and sprinklings with to implore God's forgiveness. These Masses were celebrated frequently for individual funerals, as well as in monthly or annual remembrances, such as on , to aid souls in . The Second Vatican Council prompted significant reforms, implemented in the 1969 Ordo Exsequiarum (Order of Christian Funerals), promulgated by and effective from 1970, which simplified the Requiem's texts to prioritize communal hope in the resurrection over eschatological fear. The sequence , with its vivid depictions of judgment, became optional rather than obligatory, allowing for a more pastoral tone. Vestments shifted to white as the preferred color in many places, symbolizing the baptismal garment and eternal life, though violet or black remained permissible for expressing penance or grief; this change reflected the rite's renewed emphasis on Christ's and the deceased's incorporation into the heavenly banquet. Notable examples include papal Requiems, such as that for Pope St. John Paul II on April 8, 2005, in , presided over by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger; it integrated traditional elements like the and Latin chants with post-conciliar adaptations, including white vestments and a focusing on hope, drawing over four million attendees in a display of global unity.

Eastern and Oriental Rites

In the of the [Eastern Orthodox Church](/page/Eastern_Orthodox Church), the primary memorial service for the departed is known as the Pannikhida (also called Parastas or Service), a non-Eucharistic rite emphasizing intercessory prayers for the soul's repose. The service structure incorporates litanies (ektenias) led by the , responsive hymns such as troparia and kontakia, psalmody including , and readings, culminating in the repeated "Eternal Memory" (Vechnaya Pamyat) to affirm the hope of everlasting life with the saints. This focus on communal supplication and remembrance distinguishes it from sacramental liturgies, serving as a truncated Matins-like office without the . Among Oriental Orthodox traditions, funeral rites similarly prioritize and extended mourning periods, often spanning 40 days to echo Christ's post-resurrection sojourn. In the , memorials occur on the third, ninth, and fortieth days after , with the 40th-day service holding symbolic weight as a time of fervent for the departed's journey to , though not doctrinally mandated. practices include the Fitihat ( rite) during burial, followed by memorial services, including requiem liturgies on the 3rd, 7th, and 40th days after , incorporating , scriptural lessons, and Ge'ez hymns in a communal setting of lament and blessing. Syriac Orthodox rites feature chanting of , readings, qolos (hymns), and s for mercy, rooted in ancient Antiochene influences that stress collective mourning over eschatological . These Eastern and Oriental memorial forms trace their origins to early Christian practices in the Eastern Mediterranean, drawing from Syriac liturgical families centered in Edessa, Antioch, and Alexandria, where emphasis lies on shared grief and petitionary prayer rather than vivid depictions of final judgment. Post-Great Schism of 1054, Byzantine-influenced Slavic churches adapted these rites, incorporating local customs like annual observances while maintaining the core intercessory structure. In modern usage, such as the Slavic Radonitsa—observed on the Tuesday after Thomas Sunday—believers visit graves for blessings, distribute alms, and hold Pannikhidas infused with Paschal joy, resuming memorials paused during Holy Week to celebrate resurrection hope.

Protestant and Anglican Adaptations

In , the , introduced in 1549 under , incorporated burial services featuring scriptural elements reminiscent of Requiem themes, such as the opening anthem "I am the resurrection and the life" from John 11:25-26, emphasizing hope in eternal life over intercessory rites for the deceased. These services shifted focus from medieval Catholic masses for the dead to communal comfort through Bible readings and prayers centered on God's mercy, aligning with principles. Modern adaptations include formats for memorials, where and collects draw on these traditions for contemplative remembrance without full Requiem structure. The proposed 1928 revision of the Book of Common Prayer further adapted Requiem-like elements by including optional prayers for the faithful departed, such as collects derived from the Sarum Requiem Mass, allowing intercession for the soul's rest while maintaining Anglican restraint on purgatorial doctrines. In Lutheran and Reformed traditions, funeral liturgies were simplified post-Reformation to prioritize scriptural consolation and the doctrine of , eschewing prayers intended to aid the dead's salvation as unnecessary given justification by faith alone. Martin Luther's 1520 order for burial, for instance, stressed resurrection hope through extensive passages and hymns, rejecting indulgences-linked rituals. Reformed practices similarly avoided such intercessions until later centuries, viewing death as the completion of faith's work, with services focusing on edification for the living. Post-Reformation theology rejected Requiem masses tied to indulgences, seen as corrupting by implying purchasable merit for the dead, a critique central to Luther's theses and broader Protestant reforms. By the , ecumenical dialogues revived selective Requiem elements in interdenominational settings, fostering shared liturgies for unity. In the , Enriching Our Worship (1998) provides optional texts for funeral rites, incorporating Requiem-inspired prayers like the to honor the departed while emphasizing resurrection faith.

Musical Requiem Compositions

Historical Origins and Development

The musical settings of the Requiem Mass trace their origins to the traditions of the , where monophonic chants for the first appeared in manuscripts from the , such as F-CHRm 47 and LA 239. These plainchant elements, including the Introit Requiem aeternam, formed the foundational repertoire for commemorating the dead within the Roman Catholic liturgy, evolving gradually through the medieval period as the full structure of the Requiem Mass solidified. The transition to occurred in the late , with Ockeghem's Missa pro defunctis (c. 1470–1480) standing as the earliest surviving polyphonic Requiem, which wove multiple voices around the existing melodies to create a richer, more introspective texture. By the and into the era, composers began producing standalone Requiem settings detached from strict liturgical constraints, influenced by the Counter-Reformation's call for expressive yet reverent sacred music. Tomás Luis de Victoria's 1605 Requiem for six voices exemplifies this development, employing dense to convey and spiritual depth in line with the era's emphasis on doctrinal clarity and emotional restraint. In the Classical period, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem in , K. 626 (1791), marked a turning point by integrating orchestral forces more prominently, though left incomplete at his death; it was anonymously commissioned by Count for his deceased wife. Hector Berlioz advanced this orchestral expansion in his Grande messe des morts (1837), Op. 5, which demanded vast ensembles—including over 400 performers and four separate brass bands positioned spatially—to heighten the dramatic portrayal of . The 19th and 20th centuries saw Requiems shift toward Romantic expressiveness and, later, concert-hall pieces that blended sacred and secular elements. Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem (1874), composed in honor of poet , infused the genre with operatic intensity, featuring thunderous choruses and soloistic outbursts to underscore themes of terror and redemption. Post-World War I compositions, such as Benjamin Britten's (1962), Op. 66, transformed the form into a pacifist statement by interweaving the Latin text with English war poems by , premiered at the consecration of to reflect on modern conflict.

Notable Works and Composers

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem in , K. 626, begun in 1791, stands as a pinnacle of the Classical-era Requiem, left incomplete at the composer's death and shrouded in legend due to its anonymous commission from Count , who sought a work to honor his late wife while claiming authorship himself. Mozart fully composed the Introit and sketched portions of the Sequence, including the emotive —often cited for its poignant expression of sorrow—before succumbing to illness; his pupil completed the score in 1792, drawing on Mozart's fragments, verbal instructions, and partial orchestration by another assistant, Joseph Eybler, to produce the version that premiered in 1793 and remains the standard. Shifting from Catholic liturgy, Johannes Brahms composed Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45, in 1868 as a non-Latin Protestant meditation on mortality, selecting and compiling German texts to emphasize consolation for the bereaved rather than divine judgment, inspired by the deaths of and his own mother. Premiered initially in without its final movement, the full seven-movement work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra offers solace through themes of blessedness and , diverging intentionally from traditional Requiem structure to reflect Lutheran sensibilities. Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem (1874) transforms the genre into a grand operatic spectacle, written to commemorate the Italian poet , whom Verdi revered, and premiered under the composer's direction at ’s San Marco Church on the first anniversary of Manzoni's death. Its dramatic intensity, particularly in the thunderous with its blazing brass and choral fury evoking apocalyptic terror, draws directly from Verdi's operatic expertise, employing massive forces including double chorus and orchestra to blend sacred text with theatrical vigor. Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, Op. 48 (1887), provides a luminous with its intimate, serene character, composed initially for small forces and revised for larger ensemble, deliberately omitting the wrathful sequence to prioritize eternal peace and redemption. The work culminates in the ethereal In Paradisum, envisioning the soul's ascent amid angelic choirs, reflecting Fauré's intent to craft a "lullaby of death" that consoles rather than terrifies, as evidenced by its gentle and focus on movements like the tender . Twentieth-century composers expanded the Requiem's palette further; Maurice Duruflé's Op. 9 (1947) integrates motifs seamlessly, originating as an organ suite before evolving into vocal versions, with the organ accompaniment underscoring its meditative, liturgical essence and evoking medieval roots through modal harmonies and subtle . Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem (1985), dedicated to his father, infuses pop sensibilities into the form, notably through the soaring —a showcase that achieved commercial success on charts—merging Broadway lyricism with Latin text for broader appeal. Women composers have enriched the tradition, from Hildegard von Bingen's 12th-century antiphons and sequences for the dead, which influenced early polyphonic developments in funeral music through their visionary modal structures, to 20th-century innovators like Katherine Hoover, whose Requiem for the Innocent (2001) confronts modern tragedies such as child loss with a service-like format incorporating Whitman poetry, brass, and organ for raw emotional depth.

Performance Practices and Modern Interpretations

The performance of Requiem Masses underwent a significant transformation in the , shifting from primarily liturgical contexts within churches to secular halls, which allowed for larger audiences and more dramatic presentations. This change was exemplified by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem in D minor, K. 626, which, though composed in 1791, became a staple of repertoires after 1800, often performed to evoke emotional intensity outside religious settings. Composers responded to these environments by expanding orchestrations, incorporating larger brass and percussion sections to heighten theatricality, as seen in Hector Berlioz's Grande messe des morts (1837) and Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem (1874), which featured forces exceeding 400 performers in some stagings. In the late , composers began creating non-traditional Requiems that deviated from liturgical norms, integrating political and cultural themes while maintaining the Mass's core structure. Penderecki's Polish Requiem (1980–1984) exemplifies this approach, with its movement commissioned by the trade union to commemorate workers' struggles against oppression in , blending choral intensity with dissonant orchestration to reflect themes of martyrdom and resistance. Similarly, György Ligeti's Requiem (1963–1965), featuring and static textures, was adapted for film scores, notably its section underscoring the otherworldly "Star Gate" sequence in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A (1968), transforming sacred music into a tool for evoking cosmic dread. The 21st century has seen further innovations, including fusions of traditional texts with contemporary genres. Karl Jenkins's Requiem (2004), premiered in 2005 at , incorporates Japanese flute alongside Western chorus and , creating a meditative dialogue between Eastern and Latin . Electronic adaptations have also emerged, such as Schlindwein's Ein elektronisches Requiem (2023), which layers choral samples with ambient synthesizers to produce ethereal, non-liturgical soundscapes evoking loss in a digital age. influences appear in works like Elisabetta Brusa's Requiem, Op. 25 (2007), which employs sparse textures and percussion to contrast light and dark, prioritizing emotional restraint over Romantic grandeur. Recent developments include Ēriks Ešenvalds' Requiem (2022), blending choral and orchestral elements with contemporary Latvian influences for themes of and remembrance. Requiems continue to hold cultural significance in secular memorials, often performed to honor collective tragedies. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem was presented by the in 2021 as a , with 500 free tickets offered to victims' families, emphasizing themes of judgment and consolation amid national grief. Modern interpretations sometimes involve gender-inclusive revisions to the Latin texts, adapting phrases like "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine" to incorporate neutral or balanced language in English translations for progressive ensembles, aligning with broader liturgical reforms that avoid male-centric pronouns. However, performances of incomplete works like Mozart's Requiem face challenges from on modern completions and editions; for instance, Bärenreiter-Verlag's scholarly version protects editorial additions, requiring permissions for unaltered reproductions in recordings or concerts.

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