When Humans Mourn: The Mozart Requiem And A Matter Of Scale
My husband and I recently attended a production of the Mozart Requiem at James Madison University's gorgeous Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. The stage was full. Conducted by Dr. Jo-Anne van der Vat-Chromy, sung by the JMU Chorale (in which our daughter is a soprano), with music by the JMU Chamber Orchestra, the work was masterful and moving.
Part of the Requiem's force derives from its fascinating origins and the fact that Mozart died at 35 while still composing it. But I think it's more that we, the audience, hear the music and the words — lux perpetua luceat eis, may perpetual light shine upon them — and feel the power of death. Our own vulnerability is exposed.
13.7: Cosmos And Culture
When Animals Mourn: Seeing That Grief Is Not Uniquely Human