February 26, 21:00 - Mozart. Requiem

Collegium Мusicum

Moscow, Starosadsky per., 7/10

Ekaterina MONISOVA soprano
Anastasia BONDAREVA mezzo-soprano
soloist of the B. A. Pokrovsky Chamber Stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia - Zakhar KOVALEV tenor
soloist of the Sretensky Monastery Choir - Vadim ZARIPOV bass

E. F. Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia
State Academic Russian Choir named after A. V. Sveshnikov
Conductor – Oleg ROMANENKO

Only at the concerts of the Collegium Musicum in Moscow can one hear the greatest masterpiece of Mozart under the vaults of the cathedral, performed by magnificent soloists and famous Russian ensembles. The Requiem will be performed in Franz Bayer's version, recognized by such outstanding conductors as Leonard Bernstein and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. This version is much closer to Mozart's original than Süssmeier's generally accepted version. Experts say that "Bayer took the Requiem to the dry cleaners and removed the stains from it."

One of the most frequently performed works of classical music was left unfinished after the death of its brilliant author. The Requiem was completed by Franz Xaver Süssmeier, a student of Mozart. Despite the fact that for two hundred years the Süssmeier version has not ceased to be criticized, it remains the most popular among performers and listeners. Franz Bayer's version, made in the early 1970s, is recognized by many authoritative scientists and musicians as more successful and closer to the original. It differs, first of all, in orchestration, the incorrectness of which Süssmeier is most often accused of. Bayer made significant changes to the parts of both strings and wind instruments, especially trombones. Less noticeable but significant corrections were made in the vocal parts, and four bars of the fugue were added in the Hosanna movement.

Bayer sought a deeper understanding of the style and spirit of Mozart's music and stressed that for him "editing" consisted in restoring the source material of the manuscript - after all, Mozart wrote much more than is commonly believed, which Bayer rightly argued. It is significant that such authoritative conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Neville Marriner turned to his version. It is she who will sound in Moscow at the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul performed by renowned ensembles - the State Academic Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra named after P. I. Tchaikovsky and the State Academic Russian Choir named after A. V. Sveshnikov.

In a programme:
W. A. Mozart (1756–1791)
Requiem in D minor for soloists, choir and symphony orchestra
New edition by Franz Bayer (2006)