The Completion of Mozart's Requiem: The Role of Franz Xaver Süssmayr

Mozart's Requiem represents one of the most intriguing stories in the history of classical music. Not only did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart leave the work unfinished at the time of his death, but his widow Constanze also relied on the assistance of a former pupil and assistant, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, to complete it. This article delves into the details of how Süssmayr completed Mozart's Requiem and explores the different versions that exist today.

The Unfinished Legacy

Mozart's Requiem has a dramatic and mysterious origin. Contrary to the popular yet unfounded legend that it was composed under a mysterious commission and may even have been interrupted by the ghost of Mozart, the story of the Requiem is actually more grounded in reality, yet still a tantalizing tale.

Already in the early stages of composition, Mozart showed an extraordinary depth of musicality, especially in the introduction or Introitus of the Requiem. The opening bars are imbued with a bone-chilling suspense that dramatically unfolds into a powerful, almost existential confrontation with the divine. Mozart was only able to fully complete and orchestrate the first movement, known as the Introitus, before his untimely death in 1791. Although he had composed it, Mozart clearly intended to return and develop his ideas further, though he never had the opportunity to do so.

The Role of Franz Xaver Süssmayr

Following Mozart's death, his widow Constanze saw the financial opportunity presented by completing his Requiem. She approached Süssmayr, a former pupil and assistant of Mozart, to collaborate on this project. Süssmayr, who had become a respected composer in his own right by this time, had been closely working with Mozart. This gave him not only access to the sketched and partially completed sections but also valuable insights into Mozart’s compositional intent.

Süssmayr’s version, though completed under Constanze’s supervision, quickly became the most widely performed version of the Requiem. It is believed that Süssmayr prepared his composition using both the existing sketches and potentially verbal instructions from Mozart. While the authenticity of these verbal instructions remains the subject of much debate, Süssmayr’s work indeed reflects a high degree of fidelity to Mozart's style and artistic vision.

Alternative and Supplementary Completions

In recent decades, there have been several alternative or supplementary completions of the Requiem, often championed by dedicated researchers and musicians. Colin Davis, for example, worked extensively with Charles IIves Landon and Donald V. Levin to complete a version that honors Mozart's original sketches while incorporating their analyses and interpretations.

These modern completions offer a fresh perspective on the Requiem, bringing out different layers of Mozart's composition and allowing for a richer, more nuanced interpretation of the work. Despite these efforts, the Süssmayr version continues to dominate stage and concert halls, providing a definitive and widely accepted completion of the Requiem.

Conclusion

The story of the completion of Mozart's Requiem is a complex one, encapsulating a remnant of Mozart's genius and the ingenuity of his pupil Süssmayr. While the Süssmayr version remains the most performed and most familiar, the additional completions offer a broader spectrum of interpretations and insights into Mozart's profound and haunting masterpiece.