The violins enter with a sorrowful tune. A choir enters, uttering the Latin “Lacrimosa dies illa,” a reference to the Catholic Requiem Mass. The Day of Judgment has come—God will judge all souls, and none can escape their fate.
So begins the famous opening notes of the “Lacrimosa” from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. One of the most expressive movements in classical music, this three-minute work is brief yet powerful. As it turns out, the solemn Requiem would become the final testament of one of the most influential composers of the Classical era, surrounding his death with an air of mystery.
