Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra, Op. 45
The most popular of Brahms' choral works, Ein deutsches Requiem is a profound meditation on death and redemption that has moved listeners since its full premiere in 1869. By dispensing with the traditional text of the Missa pro defunctis, and by setting benign Bible verses in the vernacular, Brahms separated his work from liturgical usage and created instead a gentle, humanist work -- devoid of the terrors of Hell and the Last Judgment, but full of compassion and consolation. In this refined performance, Philippe Herreweghe ...
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The most popular of Brahms' choral works, Ein deutsches Requiem is a profound meditation on death and redemption that has moved listeners since its full premiere in 1869. By dispensing with the traditional text of the Missa pro defunctis, and by setting benign Bible verses in the vernacular, Brahms separated his work from liturgical usage and created instead a gentle, humanist work -- devoid of the terrors of Hell and the Last Judgment, but full of compassion and consolation. In this refined performance, Philippe Herreweghe brings across the work's serenity and radiance, yet keeps the Requiem slipping into the reverential heaviness of early twentieth century convention. With the combined forces of La Chapelle Royale, the Collegium Vocale, and the Champs Elysees Orchestra, Herreweghe moves the work steadily forward with grace and assurance; and through his careful shaping of the choral parts, he gives the work nuanced dimensions, suppleness, and fluidity. Baritone Gerald Finley, in the third movement...
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