Isaacson set herself the task Mozart’s student had centuries before – to finish his “Requiem” – but she wanted to reimagine his historic work for people in the 21st century. The result is “Mozart Requiem Renewal.”
“What if I use the unfinished nature of Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ as an opportunity not just to finish it in this modern musical language, but also to reconceptualize it not as a Mass for the dead?” said Isaacson, who lives in Portland. “I’m not thinking about my dad burning in a fiery hell. I’m not thinking about, how is he going to be judged? In fact, I don’t really want to focus on his death. I want to focus on his life. How can we reconceive this work as a celebration of life?”
“Grief makes you do bold things that you wouldn’t do otherwise.”
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