Write a 2-3 page (minimum, double-spaced — that number doesn’t include a title page or citations; that is the minimum you need to cover the topic) paper, comparing and contrasting Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s setting (another term might be “version” — how he put that particular text to music) of the “Dies irae” movement of the Requiem Mass with Giuseppe Verdi’s setting of the same text (see below for directions for accessing these pieces — you’ll want to listen to each movement several times as you get familiar enough with each one to make comparisons) from their Requiem Masses, using resources other than our textbook (Music: An Appreciation — I will check this, so do not use that book). Include citations for the resources you use (see Writing Across the Curriculum, available at the bookstore, for format suggestions (and DO NOT use Wikipedia); also, the Writing Lab has information about formats). Spelling and grammar do count for this paper. Please, no graphics for this assignment, just text — this is a formal research paper.
[NOTE: You may use Internet sources, but please do not depend on them for all of your information, as the quality of sites (and thus reliability of contents) varies greatly (in particular, avoid Wikipedia except perhaps as a starting point (only) for links to more reliable sources, since there is no oversight as to what gets posted there and thus no guarantee that what is posted is accurate); please include at least one or two printed resources.] Your paper needs to cover the following things:
Include brief background information on each composer’s Requiem Mass (what’s the story behind it? why did he write it?), plus a discussion of each “Dies irae” movement/text setting (translation below). For example, you can include discussion of such things as pitches, rhythm, dynamics, orchestration, etc. What do you hear (this is the “listening assignment” part of the project)?
Finally, do these settings fit the Classical and Romantic patterns, as appropriate to their style periods? Which do you feel serves the text and its place in the mass better, and why? Which of the two settings do you prefer (which may or may not be different than your answer to the previous question), and why? This is your chance to think critically and write persuasively.