I respectfully submit that Mozart’s Requiem Mass is more badass, as it says in my title, than a barrelful of very, very badass monkeys. Some guys, when they know they’re dying, crawl into bed and wait for the black. Mozart decides to write the most rockin’ piece of work he possibly can, to be used as his own Requiem Mass, and he does it.
This is something to be played with the volume cranked to eleven, and inspire the dourest soul to an honest hour’s work. There’s lots of good classical music out there, but Mozart kicks everyone’s ass to the curb.
Discuss!
The most emotionally overwhelming performance I ever heard of Mozart’s Requiem was right after, and in response to, the Kent State Massacre. I was a student at Mount Holyoke College then, and performers from the Five Colleges area came together within I believe it was 24 or 48 hours to perform it: In a dirt-floored sports hall at Amherst, musicians and audience on wooden folding chairs, me crammed into the crowd in the balcony at the far end from the makeshift stage, sitting with my legs dangling over the edge, clasping the railing, wetfaced through the whole thing.
The musicians were swept up by the occasion and the emotions churning in that hall and gave a performance that, whatever it might have lacked in practiced polish and precision, blew us all away with its raw power.
OK, somebody has to step up and recommend the baddest ass version of it. I am very intrigued.
I’ll even provide a link.
It’d be hard to point to the best, but a good rule of thumb is that Deutsche Grammophon puts out consistently excellent recordings. I’ve revised the Amazon search link accordingly. Amazon.com : mozart requiem mass Deutsche Grammophon
Also, iTunes has a quite good free recording by a group at Duke University - if you look at iTunes U in the store, it’s easy to find.
EddyTeddyFreddy, that sounds like it must have been a heck of a concert. Speaks volumes about the power of this stuff, I think.