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Stamford Symphony, Greenwich Choral Society Perform Mozart's 'Requiem'

STAMFORD, Conn. -- The Stamford Symphony, with the Greenwich Choral Society, will be performing Mozart's "Requiem" on Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m., at Stamford's Palace Theatre.

The Stamford Symphony and Greenwich Choral Society will perform in concert on two dates in March.

The Stamford Symphony and Greenwich Choral Society will perform in concert on two dates in March.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Stamford Symphony

The Symphony akso will perform living composer Philip Glass’ "Symphony No. 3."

The unfinished work of Mozart’s "Requiem" has long been the subject of many myths and rumors.  It proved to be enough material to make into a Hollywood blockbuster in the recent film "Amadeus."  In July of 1791 an unknown messenger approached Mozart with a commission to compose a Requiem Mass for an anonymous man’s wife who recently died. At this time, Mozart was in need of money and accepted as many lucrative jobs as possible.

He was overworked and suffered from stress that manifested itself in physical ailments.  As his health deteriorated, he began to question whether he was poisoned and was in fact writing the Requiem for his own death. Six months after the initial meeting with the unknown messenger, Mozart died of a fever, leaving his work, unfinished.

He was paid a portion at the start of his assignment, and was due to collect the final payment upon completion of the assignment.  Mozart’s wife, Constanze was motivated to find someone to finish the work in order to collect on the final payment. It was believed that the work was completed by Mozart’s student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

Whether or not Mozart had left explicit instructions for Süssmayr was not certain.  Many others attempted to complete the Requiem, however, it was Süssmayr’s version that to this day, is most performed.  To learn more about the history of the Requiem, click here to read Stamford Symphony’s program notes.

Stamford Symphony also welcomes back the Greenwich Choral Society led by music director and conductor, Paul F. Mueller. The Greenwich Choral Society is a not-for-profit membership-based organization

The other work being featured is that of Philip Glass. His "Symphony No. 3" is a hypnotic work for string instruments, composed in 1994. As a living composer, Glass is considered one of the “founders” of minimalism. Minimalism is a style of music, originated in New York in the 1960’s that is known for its continual repetition and the repeated rhythmic and melodic patterns that change and combine gradually.

For more information, visit the Stamford Symphony website.

 

 

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