Christoph Straus wrote two settings of the requiem mass. (One is part of 16 masses for 8 - 20 vocal and instrumental parts with continuo, published in 1631 - see below.)

Later in the 17th century numerous requiem settings, many in concertato style, were produced by composers including G.B. Bassani, G.A. Bernabei, Antonio Bertali (eight settings), Biber, Giovanni Cavaccio, Cavalli, Cazzati, Joan Cererols, G.P. Colonna, P.A. Fiocco (three settings), Santino Girelli, J.K. Heller, J.C. Kerll (two settings), A.V. Michna, Marcin Mielczewski, Alessandro Scarlatti, Johann Stadlmayer, Christoph Straus (two settings) and Viadana. Christoph Straus's requiem of 1631 is scored for two choruses, one high and one low, with voices and instruments (strings) combined. Little distinction is made between vocal and instrumental idioms, but some variety of scoring is indicated by ‘ta[cent]' and ‘son[ant]’ markings in the string parts. Text illustration includes vocal trilli for ‘Quantus tremor est futurus’; and an optional Symphonia ad imitatione campanae, with tolling bell patterns in the bass supporting overlapping figuration above, provides a suitably sombre opening.

During the Renaissance the requiem would not have been distinguishable from other mass forms but for its text. It wasn't until the beginning of the 17 th century that the requiem began to emerge from the rigid constraints placed upon it by the ideals of Renaissance polyphony. With the onset of the new Venetian style, with Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) as its chief proponent, composers endeavored to set the requiem texts in ways that more closely reflected the meanings of the words. For example, the 1631 requiem by Viennese composer Christoph Straus (c.1575-1631) included vocal trills at quantus tremor est futurus. Of course the push toward the large-scaled requiem was only to be realized in the wealthy courts of the nobility.

The requiem from the 1631-collection has been edited by Guido Adler in D.T.Ö. vol. L.