elmcitydrunk

I just finished listening to Mozart's Requiem. It's one of my favorite works, partially due to fornd memories of singing it in high school. Those of you who have heard me sing along to my favorite tunes must be saying to yourselves, "self, that boy can't sing worth a damn!" I used to. It seeems that years of cigarettes and booze have had a lasting effect on my tonalaty. In a few more years I hope to be able to emulate Tom Waits.

At any rate- I heard part of the Requiem on NPR today and found it somewhat fitting as god died today and whatnot. I also find the story fascinating, how Mozart was sick while writing it and convinced himself that he was writing his own funeral mass. How he convinced himself that the "grey messenger" who commisioned the piece was an emmisary of Death. How he died just shy of his 36th birthday before finishing it and his wife's third choice ended up composing the latter half of the work.

Confutatis maledictis,
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictis.

Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis,
Gere curam mei finis.

When the damned are confounded
and condemned to sharp flames,
call me with the blessed.

I pray, kneeling in supplication,
my heart contrite as ashes,
take thou mine end into thy care.


Yes- I'm a recovering catholic. I am, however, looking forward to a good excuse to see a bunch of family this weekend.