Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor - Dies Irae

John Eliot Gardiner conducts the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. This performance was filmed at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona in Dec. 1991.

A Requiem Mass in the Roman Catholic tradition is a service designed to pray for the souls of the departed. The parts of the liturgy that are meant to be sung are what constitute all Requiem Mass compositions, including Mozart's.

The structure is as follows:
1. Introit
2. Kyrie
3. Sequence: a. Dies irae b. Tuba mirum c. Rex tremendae d. Recordare e. Confutatis f. Lacrimosa
4. Offertory: a. Domine Jesu Christe b. Hostias
5. Sanctus
6. Benedictus
7. Agnus Dei
8. Lux Aeterna

Mozart died before finishing the Requiem Mass, and his wife Constanze gave the task of finishing the work to a pupil of Mozart's named Süssmayr. From the Sanctus onward, the Requiem is the creation of Süssmayr, though he did use portions of the Introit and Kyrie for the Lux Aeterna.

Below is the Latin and the English translation for the Dies irae.

Dies iræ! dies illa
Day of wrath and terror looming!
Solvet sæclum in favilla
Heaven and earth to ash consuming,
Teste David cum Sibylla!
David's word and Sibyl's truth foredooming!

Quantus tremor est futurus,
What horror must invade the mind,
quando judex est venturus,
when the approaching judge shall find,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
and sift the deeds of all mankind.

Dies iræ! dies illa
Solvet sæclum in favilla
Teste David cum Sibylla!

Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Dies iræ! dies illa
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Dies iræ! dies illa
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus!
cuncta stricte discussurus!
cuncta stricte discussurus!