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Requiem open to interpretation: masterwork 20 years in the making
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Settings of the requiem, the Catholic Mass for the dead, have a long and storied history in classical music.
Giants such as Mozart, Verdi, Faure and, more recently, Benjamin Britten and John Rutter have all written monumental requiems, each occupying an iconic part in the choral repertoire.
Writing one is a massive undertaking and new requiems are composed comparatively rarely, which makes Paul Stanhopeâs requiem, which next month receives its world premiere in Sydney, a significant musical moment.