Abstract
<jats:p>Few western musical repertories speak more to the imagination than the Requiem mass for the dead. Yet, surprisingly, despite the significance of Requiem settings for our musical culture, the literature concerning them is sparse. The Book of Requiems presents the most important works in this tradition, from the origins of the genre up to the present day. Each chapter is devoted to a specific Requiem, and offers both historical information and a detailed work discussion. . Conceived as a multi-volume essay collection by leading experts, the Book of Requiems is an authoritative reference publication intended as a first port-of-call for musicologists, music theorists, and performers both professional and student. The present volume treats select Requiem masses of the nineteenth century, an age when the genre went beyond a strictly liturgical function and became adapted to the modern concert hall.</jats:p>