The word “requiem” stems from the Latin and means “rest.” When Mozart died, he was in the process of composing this musical work based on the rest that some believe accompanies death. At the end of 1791, Mozart’s wife was worried that his devoted work on the project would kill him. She feared he was working himself to death. It turns out she was right. Mozart never finished the requiem. On his deathbed, he gave the unfinished work to one of his students, with instructions on how it should be completed. An interesting note on this story is that the composition was commissioned by a stranger who asked to remain “secret.” The stranger’s intention was to pass the work off as his own. Mozart died of typhus but it appears that his overworking didn’t help. Suellen Ocean is the author of many books on diverse topics. Her books are available here: http://www.amazon.com/Suellen-Ocean/e/B001KC7Z78
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