Trotta Requiem - Tenebrae Choir conducted by Nigel Short - the inspiration behind the music

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Requiem is a powerfully appealing and tender exploration of love and loss. Grounded in tradition while incorporating a present-day harmonic language, two Gregorian Chant motives are interwoven throughout the lush harmonies and soaring melodies. The level of difficulty is within the reach of many choirs and most orchestral players, making it an attractive choice for church or concert hall.

"What I find so beautiful about the Requiem is that it is something that we can come together and experience in community, even in the midst of personal tragedy.

I spent a great deal of time playing and singing at funerals, and I heard the words of the funeral liturgy (Requiem) so many times, it was healing for me. It almost became a mantra, “eternal rest, grant unto them . . . and may perpetual light shine upon them.”

As a singer in choir, and later as a conductor and composer, I fell in love with the choral masterworks of the genre: the gravitas of Brahms, the drama of Verdi, the tenderness of Faure and the juxtaposition of old and new in the Duruflé. When I was commissioned by a consor- tium of choirs to write a Requiem myself, I sought to both honor this tradition while at the same time bringing it to modern day listeners, whether in the liturgical setting or concert hall.

For me, I see it as a conversation between two voices: hope and fear, represented by the original chant motives of Requiem (rest) and Dies Irae (fear). At times you will hear them on their own, at other times you will hear them simultaneously. Even though it may appear that fear may be gaining the upper hand, there is a continual sense of movement toward a place where hope may transcend fear.

My father passed away unexpectedly when I was seven, and I remember the initial swell of support from the community. But after a short time, the support seemed to fade and as happens with grief, life moves on for everyone but the bereaved. I was left with a sense of silence and emptiness. Eventually, music came to fill that silence. It became my solace.
Requiem is a prayer for those who have gone before us, for those that are left behind, and a prayer that all of us may find peace when facing the unknown." - Michael John Trotta