Mozart’s Requiem with Stephen Layton

In the hands of Stephen Layton, one of the world’s leading choral conductors, Mozart’s masterpiece feels anything but final Mozart’s Requiem is a work of enduring intensity, pulsing with shadow and ceremony. Its opening chords descend like heavy steps. But this is not music of despair; it’s full of movement and fire, epitomised by the Dies Irae which races forward with haunting fury.
In the hands of Stephen Layton, one of the world’s leading choral conductors, this familiar work gains striking definition. Phrases sharpen and harmonies soar to reveal the profoundly human emotion of a work often considered Mozart’s most complex and mysterious.
He leads a stellar quartet of leading Australian voices. Soprano Samantha Clarke’s tone is clear and expansive. Mezzo Ashlyn Tymms adds a grounded warmth. Tenor Andrew Goodwin brings fluency and grace, while Simon Meadows’ baritone provides a firm anchor. Together their voices dance in a heavenly echo.
Layton’s profound understanding of choral music shines through in this program. From the 16th century and Thomas Tallis’ poignant theme that inspired Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia nearly 400 years later, to the modern classic of John Rutter’s Gloria with its ‘exquisitely balanced vocal writing [and] melting harmonies’ ( Gramophone ).
This is sacred music that spans centuries. And in Layton’s hands, Mozart’s final masterpiece feels anything but final.