Piccolo Requiem contains:
01. Requiem
02. Dies Irae
03. Tuba Mirum
04. Rex Tremendae
05. Recordare - Confutatis - Lacrimosa
06. Domine Jesu - Hostias
07. Sanctus
08. Benedictus
09. Agnus Dei
Source: | booklet of cd Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131 |
♫ 01. Requiem
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 02. Dies irae
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 03. Tuba Mirum
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 04. Rex Tremendae
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 05. Recordare - Confutatis - Lacrimosa
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 06. Domine Jesu - Hostias
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 07. Sanctus
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 08. Benedictus
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
♫ 09. Agnus Dei
© Milan Vlcek SY 008-2 131
We have here a cascade of musical ideas, beginning with a virtuoso clarinet and its melancholy expression echoing long, solitary notes, outlining the theme of the "Requiem Aeternam" which is first heard in unison in the orchestra and later as a bass solo, The following solo parts in the clarinet and bassoon, borne on chords played by the trombones, are more reminiscent of a concert symphony. "Te decet hymnus" is - like the "Recordare" - written ia a pastorale style typical for the end of the seventies.
The "Dies irae" is surprising with its powerfully resounding elements of early Romanticism which, guided by the trumpets and trombones, leads into the "Tuba mirum". While the string accompaniment in the "More stupebit" marks out the oppressive tremors with the force of an earthquake, the unison of the spread chords in the first and second violins in the "Liber scriptum" call to mind the liberating Creation by Haydn. The majestic "Rex tremandae" has a remarkably Italian cantabile "Salva me". The "Confutatis" links the attacca to the pastorale "Recordare" and continues, after a change from 3/4 to 4/4 time, to the "Lacrimosa" which is again presented in a modern way; then it is suddenly transformed into a unique Viennese "Huic Ergo".
The "Domine Jesu" is surprisingly almost baroque in nature, elevated by the trumpets to a hymn and followde by the baroque fugue "Quam olim Abrahae". This ingeniously constructed form, typical for this requiem, is again used in the "Hostias". After the dynamically explosive "Sanctus" follows the fugue of the "Hosannah", in the same style. just as in all the previous parts the fusion of solos and choral parts is typical for the "Benedictus". The solo parts are not characteristic for Salieri; they are written by a foreign hand and, in my opinion, they were written in 1842. The "Agnus Dei" closes the circle from a stylistic viewpoint - we finf here not only instrumental solos from the beginning but also a repetition of the main part of the theme. Süssmayr was obedient to the Viennese tradition when, during the completion of Mozart's Requiem he places the composer's initial motif as the foundation of the "Lux aeterna" This requires further research and, after all, Süssmayr was Salieri pupil.
Another specific feature of Salieri's requiem is his marked orientation which is manifested not only in the title but also in the text. Thus Salieri completely chnaged the usual plural "Requiem aeternam dona eis" to the singular "Dona ei". The brass section is identical to Mozart's, whit one exception - in Salieri's work the basset horns have been replaced with the clarinets and two more oboed also appear. The name Piccolo requiem, just like yhe whole title, points to the humble nature of Salieri. The length of the work is virtually the same as Mozart's Requiem.