The interpretation and experience of the Requiem in contemporary culture

In this article I explore the interpretation of the Requiem by contemporary composers and singers. I will do so on the basis of two Requiem compositions: the Requiem by John Rutter (1986), a romantic and consoling composition, and the postmodern eclectic Requiem by Karl Jenkins (2004). The central questions are how the Requiem is interpreted by contemporary composers and shaped into a personal, musicalized view of death and afterlife, and how contemporary Requiems, in particular those by John Rutter and Karl Jenkins, are experienced and interpreted by singers.