Though January seems like yesterday, we have arrived at the end of the 2022–2023 school year—below is a list of composer’s final works to carry you through the summer. Accompanying each composer-piece pair is a quote by each, allegedly their last words (or spoken near their death, at least).
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Requiem in D Minor, K. 626
Likely the most well-known composer on this list, whose last composition is also likely the most well-known, Mozart was a violin prodigy and major procrastinator. As a child, he and his sister toured Western Europe, gaining recognition across the continent. He had begun composing at the age of five, and he continued to amass fame as he grew. Eventually, he moved to Vienna, where he flourished by composing, performing, and even conducting. Mozart’s lifestyle was extravagant, and during his final years, he and his family struggled financially. In 1791, Mozart wrote The Magic Flute, one of his most well-known pieces, among others and was commissioned to write a requiem as well.
Alas, the great composer supposedly died of fever before it was complete. A student of his, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, finished most of his Requiem, but most people still consider this his final work. Grave and powerful, this piece is one of Mozart’s most renowned, and among its fourteen parts, “Dies irae”and “Lacrimosa” are well-known across the globe.
“The taste of death is upon my lips…I feel something, that is not of this earth.”
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849): Mazurka in F Minor, Op. 68 No. 4
As is fitting for a composer whose works were primarily written for piano, the piano enticed him from a young age. Chopin proved to be a child prodigy, playing for Tsar Alexander I when he was only eleven. Additionally, he showed an affinity for composition, so at sixteen, he was enrolled at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music. This prolific Polish-French composer went on to attract recognition across Europe, from Poland and Austria to France and England. However, Chopin’s health deteriorated throughout his career. The separation from his long-time lover, the French novelist George Sand, was the final straw, and a year later, he died.
Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68 No. 4 was his final work—it exhibits his love of his birth country. A mazurka is a Polish folk dance, and indeed, Chopin drew much inspiration from Polish culture. Only about two minutes long, this piece carries a lyrical melody, somewhat light in mood despite its minor tonality.
“Now is my final agony. No more.”
Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924): String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 121
Gabriel Fauré was a pianist, church organist, and conservatory director, not least a composer. Studying under another famous French composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, he went on to teach composition to Maurice Ravel during his career at the Conservatoire de Paris. Fauré is known for his songs (such as “Après un rêve”), piano works (such as his collection of nocturnes), and chamber music (such as Élégie); his style is characterized by elegant plays on harmony, which naturally yet innovatively permeate his pieces. He wrote one of his most famous works, the Requiem, after the death of his parents.
Fauré wrote the String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 121 in 1924, the year of his death. By then, he suffered from deafness, and he had lost his position as conservatory director, despite his efforts to keep the fact a secret. Yet he continued to compose during the twenty years of his hearing’s gradual deterioration. The String Quartet, fluidly elegant yet incredibly expressive, is a truly Romantic piece and worthy of a full listen.
“I have done what I could, so God be my judge.”
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943): Tchaikovsky’s Lullaby, Op. 16, No. 1
As the second composer featured on this list who is famed for his works for piano, Sergei Rachmaninoff attended the Moscow Conservatory, becoming prominent in Russia despite initial insecurity in his compositions. In 1909, he astounded America by both performing on the piano and conducting his symphonies. Rachmaninoff left his country after the Russian Revolution of 1917, but he longed for home. Due to this, most of his following compositional works were not original, and his Symphonic Dances closed his significant repertoire in 1943. He devoted most of this time in Europe and the U.S. to performance.
During Rachmaninoff’s final years, he arranged Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Lullaby, Op. 16, No. 1 for solo piano. His own performance of the Lullaby is heartrending and compelling and, though beautiful, may not be a natural piece to fall asleep to.
“My dear hands. Farewell my poor hands.”
Bela Bartók (1881–1945): Piano Concerto No. 3 in E Major
Born in Hungary, Bartók began composing at a young age, later studying at the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music. His own work was highly influenced by Hungarian folk music, and he also researched and analyzed it extensively. When the Nazis tightened their hold on Germany, however, Bartók immigrated to the U.S. in 1940. Unfortunately, as he continued to research folk music at Columbia University, growing out of the Hungarian musical sphere and into the Balkans, he suffered from leukemia, which he eventually passed away from.
Although Bartók’s last work was, technically speaking, a viola concerto, he had barely begun it, and it was finished by another Hungarian composer, Tibor Serly. The last few measures of his Piano Concerto No. 3 were also left unfinished. Written for his wife rather than for himself, like his previous two piano concertos were, this piece is more lyrical than the others and less aggressive and dissonant.
“The sad thing is I leave with so much to say.”
Works Cited:
Casey, Celia. “Composers’ Final Works.” Queensland Symphony Orchestra, 2019, qso.com.au/news/blog/composers-final-works.
Hopkin, Owen. “Gabriel Fauré: A Life.” Classic FM, 23 Aug. 2012, www.classicfm.com/composers/faure/guides/discovering-great-composers-faure/.
“Lullaby (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky).” Lullaby (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) (Sergei Rachmaninoff), 2016, www.pianolibrary.org/composers/rachmaninoff/tchaikovsky-lullaby/.
Norris, Geoffrey. “Bartók’s Piano Concertos – the Pianist’s Sternest Test.” Gramophone, MA Music, Leisure and Travel, 9 Feb. 2016, www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/bartok-s-piano-concertos-the-pianist-s-sternest-test.
Plantinga, Leon, and Arthur Hedley. “Frédéric Chopin.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1998, www.britannica.com/biography/Frederic-Chopin.
Rizzi, Sofia. “6 Pieces of Music That Killed Their Composers.” Classic FM, Classic FM, 28 Mar. 2019, www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-killed-composers/.
Schwarm, Betsy. “Requiem in D Minor, K 626.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2013, www.britannica.com/topic/Requiem-in-D-Minor.
Spencer, Mel. “Beethoven’s Last Words.” Classic FM, 28 Nov. 2013, www.classicfm.com/discover-music/latest/composers-last-words/beethoven/.
Stevens, Halsey. “Béla Bartók.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Mar. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Bela-Bartok.
Photo Credits:
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