She had 6 dogs die in 5 years. Now, ‘Animal Requiem’ honors all pets loved and lost
Animal Requiem, presented at UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance on Oct. 26, celebrated, remembered, and honored all the animals who have been loved and lost and was created to help raise awareness for the continued suffering of animals affected by cruelty, negligence, and abuse. It is also meant to honor every person who is passionate about animal welfare, who believes in a world where animals are treated with kindness and compassion, and that each and every life is a valuable one.
"Rachel Fuller was an angsty teen in England when she first decided to write a Requiem Mass. A classically trained pianist and church organist, she was 15 when the choir she regularly accompanied performed British composer John Rutter’s 1985 “Requiem,” a sumptuous piece that opens with a low, ominous pulse in the bass before soaring into an angelic blossom of choral harmonies.
“And then also I watched ‘Amadeus’ with Tom Hulce,” Fuller recalls, describing the way that movie depicts Mozart composing his own Requiem from his deathbed.
By age 17 or 18, Fuller already felt like a misunderstood composer, she says. “I thought nobody understood how brilliant I was — you know, when you’re full of youth and full of ego. So I wanted to write my own Requiem. In my head, I thought I would die young and they would play it at my funeral, and then everyone would realize what a genius I was.”
Fuller laughs recalling that impulse of youth. She made some sketches but never finished that Requiem-for-self. She did, however, keep listening to the great funeral Masses of music history, adding Verdi’s, Fauré’s and others’ to her regular rotation."— Catherine Womack, Oct. 24, 2019
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the New York Times website.
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