One of my favorite pieces by Zelenka and also one of my favorite requiems. It is such a beautiful piece but it's also funny because the it often doesn't really match the somber mood of most requiems. For instance, it starts out sounding almost like something that would come from Händel's Water Music (among many other pieces) and the Dies Irae is peculiarly happy (maybe Zelenka was secretly hoping for the day of wrath, but who knows). More likely, the upbeat nature of the work is meant to develop a more positive viewpoint on death, but this may just be an unjustified conclusion. Nonetheless, the piece features some of Zelenka's most beautiful and intimate moments, such as the interaction between the vocalist and the chalumeau in the Christe Eleison.