Michael Haydn: Requiem

Michael Haydn's Requiem in C minor (MH 155) is a Requiem Mass for choir, soloists, and orchestra. It was composed in December 1771 following the death of Salzburg's Prince-Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach - the archbishop was Michael's employer, a beloved benefactor, and patron of music. The work also carries personal grief for the composer: his young daughter Aloisia Josepha had died earlier that year before her first birthday.

Haydn's Requiem had a powerful influence on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem, composed twenty years later. Today the work is performed relatively rarely, though it has a devoted following in its native region.

The programme also includes Henry Purcell's "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary", composed for Queen Mary II's funeral in the 17th century.

Soloists: Iirisilona Segerstam (soprano), Inga Sauranen (alto), Juho Punkeri (tenor), and Marko Korpela (bass). Performed by Suomen Laulu and Ensemble Nylandia, conducted by Matias Häkkinen.