This 7th movement of Mozart’s Requiem is regarded as the most popular. Mozart had composed only the first 8 measures of this piece before his passing (December 5, 1791). Franz Süssmayr, a student of his, finished the rest of the Requiem, as Mozart had begun most of the other movements. This student is thought to have attempted to steal Mozart’s work as a whole of Requiem as his own, as he had a reputation for doing such.

The lyrics are directly from last two stanzas of the classic Latin hymn “Dies Irae”, the penultimate interestingly being the only stanza breaking the triplet rhyme scheme of the rest of the piece in exchange for rhyming couplets.

Lacrimosa (Latin for tearful), is repeated many times throughout the movement. Written in D minor the sad emotions that Lacrimosa carries sends shivers down the spine with a disjunct, wide range that is present throughout the piece.