Concerto J. Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem

The German Requiem (Ein Deutsches Requiem) op. 45 occupies a special place in the creative output of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). The piece was composed between 1857-1868 and is intended for a large symphony orchestra, mixed choir and soloists — soprano and baritone.

The composer, giving the title, referred to the Catholic mourning mass requiem, however, from the formal side, the work has little in common with it. The textual basis here is selected passages from the Holy Scriptures (in the German translation of Martin Luther). The premiere of the work in six-part form took place on Good Friday 1868 in Bremen. Later, at the urging of Eduard Marxsen, Brahms wrote another (seventh) part — with a solo soprano part, which is now the fifth link of the work. In this form, the German Requiem sounded for the first time on February 18, 1869 in Leipzig. Immediately after the premiere, the work was hailed as a national work, and numerous performances in Europe brought the composer international fame. Within the framework of the traditional musical language, Johannes Brahms, through the selection of texts and extraordinary compositional expression, created a work of enormous emotional charge, which is “the sum of the most beautiful, most humanistic elements of German art”.

Parts of the work:

I Selig sind, die da Leid tragen/Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4, Psalms 126:5 —6)

II Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras/Because all flesh is like grass (1 Peter 1:24; James 5:7; 1 Peter 1:25; Isaiah 35:10)

III Herr, lehre doch mich/O Lord, let me know (Psalm 39:5 —8; Wisdom 3:1)

IV Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen/How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord (Psalm 84:2, 3, 5)

V Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit/ Now indeed you grieve (John 16:22; Sirach 51:27; Isaiah 66:13)

VI Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt/For we have no city standing here (Hebrews 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 54-55; Revelation 4:11)

VII Selig sind die Toten — Blessed are those who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13)