7 Religious Works YOU should Listen to this Week

Hello everyone! It is that time of the week again. In this week's weekly7, I will be covering 7 Religious Works YOU should Listen to this Week. I have always greatly loved religious works because they are the works that a composer poors his heart, soul, and energy into producing. So, today I will pick out 7 to share with you!

7. Requiem in D minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This requiem probably has the most drama and mystery behind it. This is the last piece that Mozart ever wrote, and legend has it that he believed he was writing it for himself. What is known is that it was incomplete at the time of his death. However, his wife needed the money, so she asked one of Mozart's students to finish it (which he did). Then, she gave it to the commissioner as if it had been finished all along (if I am remembering correctly). Anyway, you can tell which movements of this were actually written by Mozart. I will also point out the obvious use of counterpoint and inspiration from Bach in this work. Here is the Mozart Requiem in d minor (performer not listed):

6. Mass no. 2 in G Major - Franz Schubert

One of the things that surprised me about this work is that Schubert wrote it in less than a week (according to Wikipedia). Schubert and Mozart were well known for their abilities to write music rapidly, but I don't even think I'd be able to copy this (well) in a week (by hand). Much less, write it. Here is Schubert's second Mass in G Major (performance group is not listed):

5. Magnificat in D Major (BWV 243) - Johann Sebastian Bach

I enjoy this work very much! Last year, the 11th movement, Sicut Locutus (25:39), was one of our performance pieces for the PMEA District 12 Choir. This Magnificat is about the birth of Christ and was written for Christmas. It was actually originally in E flat Major, until its key was altered for performance issues amongst the trumpets. It has become one of Bach's most popular works. Here is Bach's Magnificat in D Major performed by the Monteverdi choir in Würzburg, Germany:

4. Requiem in d minor - Gabriel Fauré

This requiem is another quite popular requiem. It is the only major work that Gabriel Fauré ever composed. Fauré is known quite well for his smaller scale music. Something interesting about Fauré is that he did not attempt to write loud and grand music. He focused on remaining soft, peaceful, and relaxing in his music. This approach is especially notable in this work. Here is the Fauré requiem performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus:

3. Mass in C Major - Ludwig van Beethoven

Something interesting about this mass is that it was commissioned by a prince who had established the tradition of commissioning a mass every year from Joseph Haydn. This tradition started when Haydn got back from England in 1795 and ended as the composers health began to dwindle in 1802. Beethoven was very much aware of this tradition and studied Haydn's masses immensely when sketching his own. The prince was unsatisfied with the resulting work, and as a result, Beethoven rededicated it upon publication to a different prince. Beethoven's reasoning is still embodied today in this popular tune. Jokes aside, here is Beethoven's Mass in C Major performed by the London Symphony Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra:

2. Requiem - Giuseppe Verdi

This work is magnificent! Verdi is well known as one of the greatest operatic composers. What is interesting about this requiem is the incredible interpretation on Verdi's part. As he did when setting operatic librettos, Verdi tried to capture the emotions of the text within the music. As a result, he created one of the greatest religious works since the Mozart requiem (see number 7). Here is the BBC symphony orchestra's performance of Verdi's requiem:

1. The Creation - Franz Joseph Haydn

This work is great fun to listen to! It is considered to be Haydn's masterpiece. I have been listening to the finale of the first part a lot recently because that is one of this year's districts pieces. I should upload my harmonic analysis of it. Anyway, the counterpoint in "The Heaven's are Telling (around 31:10)" is magnificent (There is a full on fugue in it that starts around 33:56). This oratorio tells the creation story as illustrated in the Book of Genesis. One story that I heard recently is that Haydn had the text's used for this work translated from English to German and set the German version. He then had the translator translate it back to English in a way that made it so the words fit the phrasing. All of this was apparently done without the permission of the person who actually wrote the text. So, as you can imagine, he was mad. Here is Haydn's masterpiece, "The Creation," performed by the MIT choir:

Sources

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Schedule (hopefully)

Friday - Tuesday: "The Wealth of Nations" review
Wednesday: Break/Free write day
Thursday: Weekly7

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Closing

Thanks for reading this! I hope you enjoyed these pieces. I am sorry that I have not been living up to my schedule. I have been busy lately. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for future lists. As you know, feedback is always appreciated. Have a nice day!

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