# What is it with Mozart's Requiem and commercials?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 24, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730 "2009-11-24T02:41:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730/1 "2009-11-24T02:41:06Z")

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I heard a TV commercial tonight for the Droid and was amused to hear the Kyrie from Mozart’s _Requiem_ as part of the soundtrack. Reminded me of the whole Microsoft - Confutatis thing.

“Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy” is not a theme that I would want associated with a product I was considering purchasing.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730/2 "2009-11-24T02:45:58Z")

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I guess they finally got tired of the “Dies Irae” from Verdi’s _Requiem._

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**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730/3 "2009-11-24T03:11:49Z")

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Wrath and judgment – another great theme for promoting a product!

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730/4 "2009-11-24T06:12:29Z")

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> [@freckafree](#):
>
> I heard a TV commercial tonight for the Droid and was amused to hear the Kyrie from Mozart’s _Requiem_ as part of the soundtrack. Reminded me of the whole Microsoft - Confutatis thing.
> 
> “Lord, have mercy, Christ have mercy” is not a theme that I would want associated with a product I was considering purchasing.

Several years ago there was a television advertisment for a brand of tyres here - I think it was Goodyear. While the excellent road-handling qualities of the tyres were being extolled, the soundtrack was blaring out the _Dies Irae_ from the Mozart Requiem. There was some wry commentary in the papers about Goodyear’s strategy of promoting the safety qualities of its tyres by using funeral music.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730/5 "2009-11-24T08:25:02Z")

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They’re all long out of copyright, so they can be used in commercials without paying the composer.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-mozarts-requiem-and-commercials/518730/6 "2009-11-24T15:31:48Z")

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At least they’re laying off the _[O Fortuna](http://www.kickassclassical.com/classical-music-popular-famous-best-composers-a-z.html#Orff)_ (from Carmina Burana) now.