Mozart’s Requiem, interwoven with selections from:
Damien GETER: An African American Requiem (2019)
Eric GOULD: 1791: Requiem for the Ancestors (World Premiere)
Jessie MONTGOMERY: Five Freedom Songs (2020)
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1791: Against the backdrop of worldwide unrest and revolution, Mozart composed his masterful Requiem – as he lay dying. Struggles for democracy were unfolding around him, in France, Haiti, and the fledgling United States. As the 35-year-old Mozart raced to finish his Requiem, death overtook him. He laid bare his soul in a work that remained incomplete.
Apollo’s Fire and Artistic Director Jeannette Sorrell premiere a bold new program reflecting the vibrant tapestry of today’s society. In this journey through grief to hope and joy, Sorrell interweaves the movements of Mozart’s unfinished Requiem with selections from related spiritual works by three leading Black composers of our time. Sorrell leads 70 of the nation’s finest period-instrument specialists and early music singers in these concerts.
“An ensemble at the peak of their powers, making vital statements about the world…. Jeannette Sorrell is a masterful musical storyteller.” – Seen & Heard International
The commission for Eric Gould’s 1791: Requiem for the Ancestors was generously underwritten by SONJIA SMITH
This program is made possible with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Featured Artists
Sonya Headlam, soprano
Guadalupe Paz, mezzo-soprano
Jacob Perry, tenor
Kevin Deas, bass-baritone
with Elora Kares, soprano
and Apollo’s Singers
