I suppose one could make the argument that Mozart was always composing opera even when he was not writing an opera persay. The dramatic contrasts in his music, and Mozart's mastery of the Piano Concerto with the individual pitted against the mass could be cited as operatic tendencies in his non-operatic works. It is no secret Mozart lived to compose opera, and may have been at his best when writing opera. Of course, when I think of so many other non-operatic masterpieces by this young man, it can be hard for me to say this conclusively.
The Mozart Requiem certainly does not lack for drama. There is plenty of that, particularly in the fiery "Dies Irae" movement and "Rex Tremende." The gentle, radiant "Recordare" is like a beautiful quartet that could have been in an opera, but overall, I don't believe this music was written by Mozart for pure effect, as I believe Verdi's was. Verdi's Requiem is opera to me. Nothing wrong with opera. But in Verdi, I hear pure dramatic effect. Mozart's Requiem is I think more personal and more sincere than Verdi's. And in one sense, how could it not be? Mozart was dying and he knew it. He believed he was writing it for himself. It was his final monument to his legacy - a legacy he took seriously.
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