Hello List,
I am sure someone more expert can weigh in on this, but I will offer that it is
well established that sometimes composers compose for a certain instrumentation
because they know somebody. Telemann had a great horn player in his stable and
of course Mozart had Leutgeb.
We do know that the Requiem was originally a commission, perhaps the patron
asked for a specific instrumentation.
In the case of the Requiem I believe it is clear that Mozart knew he was
setting a very old text and that he felt like using old textures forms and
techniques. So much is like Baroque oratorio to my ears. We know that he
studied the counterpoint of Bach, among others. (BTW I feel Symphony 41 also
has a retrospective feel to it at times).
Trumpets and/or trombones (tromba and trombe) are clearly called for when the
text discusses the trumpets sounding to announce the end-times ("tuba mirum").
The clarinets and basset horns are a great choice for the somber colors.
Besides, the horn is the instrument of the devil and we don't want that in a
sacred work, do we?
Steve Burian
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