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Abstract
The quality of Franz Xaver Süssmayr’s completion of Mozart’s unfinished Requiem has been the subject of fierce debate for two centuries now. After its initial positive reception, its flaws gradually surfaced, and in recent decades several alternative completions have been made. None of these, however, have so far succeeded in winning general acclaim. In this situation, unless one were to decide the work should not be performed at all, the only option is to continue striving for the most convincing blend with what Mozart left us. This article, part of a forthcoming PhD thesis on Mozart’s two great unfinished sacred works, the Mass in C minor K. 427 and the Requiem K. 626, examines the Requiem’s Domine Jesu movement. It analyzes the piece at length, discusses existing completions (in this case orchestrations), and offers alternative solutions.