Requiem W.A. Mozart

Ok, so its not technically a book, but I want to review it because it's so inspiring.



I have decided to try operant conditioning to make my life better. I buy myself things I want but have no reason to buy as a reward for overcoming one of my flaws for a specified period of time (like a month, or 10 days in a row, etc.) I wanted to stop getting parking tickets (and late fees) so I decided if I could go a month without getting a parking ticket (its actually hard where I work) I would buy myself a CD. For reaching my goal during the month of September I bought myself Mozart's Requiem. I sang it in a choir a few years ago and I loved it.



A requiem is a Catholic mass for the dead, that has become its genre in choral music. A requiem follows the Latin lyrics under these titles:Requium, Kyrie, Sequentia, Offertorium, Sanctus, Benidictus, Agnus Dei, Communion, etc.



I like the Seqentia part, where the painful feelings about life, sin and death reach a catharsis. The music leads you into the very jaws of Hell, "Confutatis malidictis flammis acribus addictis..." (when the accursed have been confounded and given over to the bitter flames)

but then you are led to safety in arms of God, "Voca me cum benidictis....Gere curam mei finis." (Call me with the blessed...safeguard my fate.)



I also like the Agnus Dei "Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem" (Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world, grant them rest.)



But even if you don't understand the words at all, the music is powerful enough to convey the message. The music is so beautiful when you are listening to it that for a moment you find yourself reaching for perfection, and touching perfection lightly with your fingertips.



The story of a requiem is one of facing the reality of death and sin, pleading with God for mercy, feeling the fears and pains of the world, looking to God, remembering God's promises to us, praising God, attaining the mercy of the Savior, and rejoicing that God has rescued us from death, sin, and fear.



When I listen to a new piece of music, I get really into it and listen to it over and over until it seeps into me. Because of some of the choral music I've sung, sometimes phrases come to my mind in Latin. Agnus Dei..Dona eis requiem.