In 1798, the King of Poland—Stanisław August Poniatowski—passed away and Józef Kozłowski (Osip Kozlovsky)’s Requiem premiered in his honor. This deeply spiritual and moving work was later rewritten by the composer in 1825 for the funeral of Alexander I. However, despite its awe-inspiring nature and melodic beauty, it had largely fallen into obscurity over the centuries—before Singapore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Hans Graf, following extensive research and a new Urtext edition, revived the work’s original version with a sensational cast of soloists for its widely acclaimed Asian premiere in 2023!
This wondrous revival is preceded by Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 in G Minor. Popularized by its appearance at the beginning of the movie Amadeus, it is one of the two Mozart symphonies composed in a minor key and is likely inspired by Haydn’s Symphony No. 39, also written in G Minor. This symphony is characteristic of the Sturm und Drang style—featuring syncopation and melodic leaps—and its dramatic beginning mirrors the power of Kozłowski's Requiem.
Photo © Jack Yam
