49-497: A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures , Op . 45 (German: Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift ) by Johannes Brahms , is a large-scale work for chorus , orchestra, and soprano and baritone soloists, composed between 1865 and 1868. It comprises seven movements , which together last 65 to 80 minutes, making this work both Brahms's longest composition and largest ensemble-work. A German Requiem
98-460: A Christian work. In 1866 Brahms made an arrangement for piano solo of the six-movement version of the Requiem, which he revealed to Clara Schumann at Christmas of that year. Brahms prepared an alternative version of the full seven-movement work to be performed with piano duet accompaniment, making it an acceptable substitute accompaniment for choir and soloists in circumstances where a full orchestra
147-594: A combination of recitative and aria. The arias are called Air or Song, some of them have da capo form, but rarely in a strict sense, repeating a first section after a sometimes contrasting middle section. Handel finds various ways to use the format freely, in order to convey the text. The movements marked "Recitative" (Rec.) are "secco", only accompanied by the basso continuo . Recitatives marked "Accompagnato" (Acc.) are accompanied by additional string instruments. Handel uses four voice parts in both solo and chorus, soprano (S), alto (A), tenor (T) and bass (B). Only once
196-405: A leap of a major third , usually followed by a half-step in the same direction. The first exposed choral entry presents the motif in the soprano voice (F–A–B ♭ ). This motif pervades every movement and much of the thematic material in the piece. Most critics have commented on the high level of craftsmanship displayed in the work, and have appreciated its quasi-Classical structures (e.g.
245-641: A movement are given in notes on the individual movements. Scene 1 tells in an aria and a chorus of the resurrection, based on the Messianic anticipation in the Book of Job ( Job 19:25–26 ) and Paul 's teaching in his first epistle to the Corinthians ( 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ). I know that my Redeemer liveth The aria for soprano "I know that my Redeemer liveth" draws from both Job and Paul. The words are "an expression of faith in redemption" and announce
294-655: A work of the same name. German refers primarily to the language rather than the intended audience. Brahms told Carl Martin Reinthaler , director of music at the Bremen Cathedral , that he would have gladly called the work " Ein menschliches Requiem " (A human Requiem). Although the Requiem Mass in the Roman Catholic liturgy begins with prayers for the dead ("Grant them eternal rest, O Lord"), A German Requiem focuses on
343-601: Is bolded. The choir is in four parts, with the exception of a few chords. The choir is not especially mentioned in the table because it is present throughout the work. The translation is close to the original. Links to the King James Version of the Bible are supplied. Brahms marked some sections in German for tempo and character, trying to be more precise than the common Italian tempo markings . Notable orchestration devices include
392-477: Is entirely absurd, and without reason: at most, Amen is only a devout fiat, and ought never, therefore, to have been frittered, as it is, by endless divisions on A— and afterwards men." But Handel's first biographer, John Mainwaring , wrote in 1760 that this conclusion revealed the composer "rising still higher" than in "that vast effort of genius, the Hallelujah chorus". Christopher Hogwood comments: "the entry of
441-480: Is now the fifth movement by August 1866. Johann Herbeck conducted the first three movements in Vienna on 1 December 1867. This partial premiere went poorly due to a misunderstanding in the timpanist's score. Sections marked as fp (loud, then soft) were played as f (loud) or ff (very loud), essentially drowning out the rest of the ensemble in the fugal section of the third movement. The first performance of
490-491: Is repeated, but not exactly the same music. A fugue carries the words "Blessing and honour, glory and pow'r be unto him". The men's voices and the continuo begin in unison , the simple theme rises to a note which is repeated nine times and falls back, reminiscent of the repeated notes in " For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it " and " King of Kings ". Several countersubjects add life and texture, gradually more instruments take part in
539-635: Is sacred but non-liturgical, and unlike a long tradition of the Latin Requiem , A German Requiem , as its title states, is a Requiem in the German language. Brahms's mother died in February 1865, a loss that caused him much grief and may well have inspired Ein deutsches Requiem . Brahms's lingering feelings over Robert Schumann 's death in July 1856 may also have been a motivation, though his reticence about such matters makes this uncertain. His original conception
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#1732858620637588-529: Is swallow'd up in victory". O death, where is thy sting? "O death, where is thy sting?" is sung as a duet in E flat major of alto and tenor on a walking bass of the continuo, without strings. The movement is based on the duet for soprano and alto "Se tu non lasci amore" (HWV 193, 1722). Such a movement would remind the London listeners of love duets concluding operas, such as the final scene of " Giulio Cesare ." But thanks be to God The chorus answers in
637-457: Is the chorus divided in an upper chorus and a lower chorus, it is SATB otherwise. The orchestra scoring is simple: oboes , strings and basso continuo of harpsichord , violoncello , violone and bassoon . Two trumpets and timpani highlight selected movements, such as the closing movements of Part II, Hallelujah . Handel uses a cantus firmus on long repeated notes especially to illustrate God's speech and majesty, such as "King of Kings" in
686-532: Is unavailable. The vocal parts can also be omitted, suggesting that it was also intended as a self-contained version probably for at-home use. The alternative version was used, sung in English, for the first complete British performance of the Requiem on 10 July 1871 at 35 Wimpole Street , London, the home of Sir Henry Thompson and his wife, the pianist Kate Loder (Lady Thompson) . The pianists were Kate Loder and Cipriani Potter . This piano-duet accompaniment version of
735-551: The Day of Judgement , as written in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. Accompagnato and Air share three verses, 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 . Handel breaks the text in the middle of the second verse, to open the aria with the musical idea "the trumpet shall sound". The image, first found in Exodus 19, pictures a courtly herald who blew the trumpet as a signal that the king was about to enter
784-593: The Hallelujah chorus. The following table is organized by movement numbers. There are two major systems of numbering the movements of Messiah : the historic Novello edition of 1959 (which is based on earlier editions and contains 53 movements), and the Bärenreiter edition of 1965 in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe . Not counting some short recitatives as separate movements, there are therefore 47 movements. In
833-604: The Second Coming of Christ . The aria begins with an ascending fourth , a signal observed by musicologist Rudolf Steglich as a unifying motif of the oratorio, on the words "I know", repeated almost every time these words appear again. "For now is Christ risen" is pictured in a steadily rising melody of more than an octave . The music appears to be a reworking of arias from previous operas, with similarities between motifs that appear in Acis and Galatea ("Must I my Acis still bemoan?"),
882-516: The liturgical year ; Part I corresponding with Advent , Christmas and the life of Jesus, Part II with Lent , Easter, Ascension and Pentecost , Part III with the end of the church year, dealing with the end of time, the Resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven . The sources are drawn mostly from the Old Testament . Even the birth and death of Jesus are told in the words of
931-605: The Christian Messiah . Christopher Hogwood comments: Messiah is not a typical Handel oratorio; there are no named characters, as are usually found in Handel’s setting of the Old Testament stories, possibly to avoid charges of blasphemy. It is a meditation rather than a drama of personalities, lyrical in method; the narration of the story is carried on by implication, and there is no dialogue. The oratorio's structure follows
980-462: The Lord", as Reinthaler described it, such as John 3:16 . In the Bremen performance of the piece, Reinthaler took the liberty of inserting the aria " I know that my Redeemer liveth " from Handel 's Messiah to satisfy the clergy. In addition to soprano and baritone soloists and mixed chorus, A German Requiem is scored for: Since Brahms inserted the fifth movement, the work shows symmetry around
1029-442: The Requiem has become known as the "London Version" (German: Londoner Fassung ). An arrangement of the first movement for concert band by Barbara Buehlman, under the title "Blessed Are They", has been a standard part of that ensemble's literature for many years. A German Requiem inspired the titles of Jorge Luis Borges ' 1949 short story " Deutsches Requiem " and Philip Kerr 's 1991 novel A German Requiem . The start of
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#17328586206371078-401: The aria that opens Act II of Riccardo primo , Se m’è contrario il Cielo, e che sperar potrò frà tante pene ("If heaven is against me, what hope is there for me in all this trouble?"), and multiple others. The creative recasting and transformation of previous ideas in new works is a process which was often employed by Handel. The significance of this "much-loved" aria is also indicated by
1127-601: The bust of the composer erected as a memorial in Westminster Abbey, which bears a figure of the composer working on the manuscript for this aria in a "moment of inspiration". Much recorded as a stand-alone number, the melody of the aria has also been reworked as a hymn tune, most often set to either a paraphrase by Charles Wesley which shares the incipit of the aria, or to a translation of a 7th or 8th century latin text by John Chandler, beginning "O Christ, our hope, our heart's desire". Since by man came death The text for
1176-491: The chorus "All we like sheep", and in the closing chorus of the work, "Worthy is the Lamb". Occasionally verses from different biblical sources are combined in one movement, but more often a coherent text section is set in different consecutive movements, such as the first " scene ", the annunciation of Christian salvation , as a sequence of three movements, recitative , aria and chorus . When Handel composed Messiah in London, he
1225-403: The chorus "Since by man came death" continues Paul's thoughts, juxtaposing death and resurrection twice. Consequently, Handel twice uses a Grave a cappella setting in A minor with chromatic lines, opposed to an Allegro with orchestra in C major in most simple harmony, switching back and forth between these extremes. Scene 2 deals with Paul's teachings on the Resurrection of the body on
1274-560: The dead and Christ's glorification in heaven . The libretto by Charles Jennens is entirely drawn from the Bible, mostly from the King James Bible , whereas several psalms are taken from the Book of Common Prayer . The librettist commented: "... the Subject excells every other Subject. The Subject is Messiah ...". Messiah differs from Handel's other oratorios by telling no story, instead offering reflections on different aspects of
1323-445: The dead, told as a secret about a change. Movements III and V are begun by a solo voice. In the third movement, the baritone requests " Herr, lehre doch mich " ("Lord, teach me"); the choir repeats his words several times, making the personal prayer more general. In the fifth movement, the soprano and chorus sing different text, corresponding to each other. As opposed to Baroque oratorios, the soloists do not sing any arias, but are part of
1372-500: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 756695190 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:37:00 GMT Messiah Part III#45 Messiah ( HWV 56), the English-language oratorio composed by George Frideric Handel in 1741, is structured in three parts. This listing covers Part III in a table and comments on individual movements, reflecting
1421-412: The development on "for ever – and ever". These words are rendered in short downward runs, but then also in the same rhythm as in the Hallelujah chorus , and finally broadened to Adagio. The "Amen" begins again simply in the bass and continuo. An intricate melody rises in four measures and one octave. Every other voice, tenor, alto, soprano, also sings the theme once. Rather unexpectedly, a solo violin plays
1470-621: The final chorus. Scene 4 closes the work by visionary verses from the Book of Revelation, The creatures in heaven give praise ( Revelation 5:12–13 ), affirmed by an extended Amen . Worthy is the Lamb that was slain The chorus, with the full orchestra including trumpets and timpani, proclaims in a solemn Largo "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain", and continues Andante "to receive power – and riches, – and wisdom, – and strength, – and honour, – and glory, – and blessing". The sequence of Largo and Andante
1519-409: The first movement's lack of violins, the use of a piccolo, clarinets, one pair of horns, trumpets, a tuba, and timpani throughout the work, as well as the use of harps at the close of both the first and seventh movements, most striking in the latter because at that point they have not played since the middle of the second movement. A German Requiem is unified compositionally by a three-note motif of
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1568-606: The fourth movement, which describes the "lovely dwellings" of the Lord. Movements I and VII begin " Selig sind " (Blessed are), taken from the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount in I, from Revelation in VII. These two slow movements also share musical elements, especially in their ending. Movements II and VI are both dramatic, II dealing with the transient nature of life, VI with the resurrection of
1617-401: The last words "at the last trumpet". The trumpet shall sound The Air for bass "The trumpet shall sound", marked "Pomposo, ma non allegro", is a da capo aria . In the work's only instrumental solo, the trumpet provides motifs which the bass picks up. In "and we shall be changed", the word "changed" is treated in inventive ever-changing melismas of up to six measures. In the middle section,
1666-571: The living, beginning with the text "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." from the Beatitudes . This theme—transition from anxiety to comfort—recurs in all the following movements except movements IV and VII, the central one and the final one. Although the idea of the Lord is the source of the comfort, the sympathetic humanism persists through the work. Brahms purposely omitted Christian dogma. In his correspondence with Carl Reinthaler, when Reinthaler expressed concern over this, Brahms refused to add references to "the redeeming death of
1715-535: The piece's second movement, " Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras " ("For all flesh, is as grass"), is used in the opening credits of the BBC documentary film series The Nazis: A Warning from History , with various sections of this part of the movement being used for the closing credits. Opus number Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
1764-498: The prophet Isaiah , the most prominent source of the libretto. The only true scene of the oratorio is taken from the Gospel of Luke , the annunciation to the shepherds . The imagery of shepherd and lamb features prominently, in the aria "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd", the only extended piece to talk about the Messiah on earth, in the opening of Part II, "Behold the Lamb of God", in
1813-558: The relation of the musical setting to the text. Part I begins with the prophecy of the Messiah and his birth , shows the annunciation to the shepherds as a scene from the Gospel of Luke , and reflects the Messiah's deeds on Earth. Part II covers the Passion , death, resurrection, ascension , and the later spreading of the Gospel. Part III concentrates on Paul 's teaching of the resurrection of
1862-476: The same key and tempo "But thanks be to God". If God be for us, who can be against us The scene closes with the assurance "If God be for us, who can be against us". As a contrast to the following choral conclusion of the oratorio, it is sung by the soprano. Towards the end, Handel quotes the characteristic intervals beginning Martin Luther 's chorale Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir several times, leading into
1911-410: The second, third, and sixth movements have fugues at their climax). But not all critics responded favourably to the work. George Bernard Shaw , an avowed Wagnerite , wrote that "it could only have come from the establishment of a first-class undertaker." Some commentators have also been puzzled by its lack of overt Christian content, though it seems clear that for Brahms this was a humanist rather than
1960-483: The six movements premiered in the Bremen Cathedral six months later on Good Friday , 10 April 1868, with Brahms conducting and Julius Stockhausen as the baritone soloist. The performance was a great success and marked a turning point in Brahms's career. In May 1868 Brahms composed an additional movement, which became the fifth movement within the final work. The new movement, which was scored for soprano soloist and choir,
2009-484: The structure of the movements. Almost all movements, with the exception of IV and VII, connect different Bible verses, which lead from suffering and mourning to consolation. The last word of the work is the same as the first: " selig " (blessed). The following table is organized first by movement, then within a movement by Bible quotation (where appropriate), which generally also causes a change in mood, expressed by tempo , key and orchestration. The title of each movement
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2058-560: The table below, the Novello number (Nov) is given first and is the index for the notes to individual movements in the "movements" section, then the Bärenreiter number (Bär). To emphasise the movements in which the oboes (ob) and the rarely used trumpets (tr) and timpani (ti) play, the summary below does not mention the regular basso continuo and the strings in movements. Details on the development of keys , different tempo markings times within
2107-644: The theme, first unsupported, then assisted by a continuo entrance of the theme, interrupted by a choral four-part setting with the theme in the bass. After two more instrumental measures, a four-part-setting develops to imitation and counterpoint of more and more independent voices, ending on a rest of a full measure. Finally, Amen is repeated two more times, Adagio. A contemporary critic, conditioned by John Brown who objected to operatic features in oratorios such as recitatives, long ritornellos, and ornamented vocal lines, commented on Handel's display of musical inventiveness and "contrapuntal skill" : "The fugue too, on Amen,
2156-421: The throne room, a signal to stand in his honour. The passage from 1 Corinthians 15 was also chosen by Johannes Brahms for Ein deutsches Requiem , but in the German translation of the Bible the instrument is a trombone . Behold, I tell you a mystery "Behold, I tell you a mystery" is rendered as a bass accompagnato in D major . Towards the end, motifs like trumpet signals appear in the strings even before
2205-553: The traditional Roman Catholic Requiem Mass , which employs a standardized text in Latin , the text is derived from the German Luther Bible . Brahms's first known use of the title Ein deutsches Requiem was in an 1865 letter to Clara Schumann in which he wrote that he intended the piece to be " eine Art deutsches Requiem " (a sort of German Requiem). Brahms was quite moved when he found out years later that Robert Schumann had planned
2254-557: The word "immortality" is expressed in a lively melisma of first eight, then nine measures. Scene 3 first continues the text of Scene 2 ( 1 Corinthians 15:54–57 ), presented in recitative, duet and chorus, and ends with an Air on Paul's Assurance of salvation , as written in the Epistle to the Romans, Romans 8:31,33–34 . Then shall be brought to pass An alto recitative delivers "Then shall be brought to pass", ending on "death
2303-511: Was already a successful and experienced composer of Italian operas. He had started in 1713 to also compose sacred music on English texts, such as the Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate . He set many oratorios on English libretti . In Messiah he used practically the same musical means as for those works, namely a structure based on chorus and solo singing. Only a few movements are a duet or a combination of solo and chorus. The solos are typically
2352-647: Was first sung in Zürich on 12 September 1868 by Ida Suter-Weber, with Friedrich Hegar conducting the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich . The final, seven-movement version of A German Requiem was premiered in Leipzig on 18 February 1869 with Carl Reinecke conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Chorus, and soloists Emilie Bellingrath-Wagner and Franz Krückl . Brahms assembled the libretto himself. In contrast to
2401-482: Was for a work of six movements; according to their eventual places in the final version, these were movements I–IV and VI–VII. By the end of April 1865, Brahms had completed the first, second, and fourth movements. The second movement used some previously abandoned musical material written in 1854, the year of Schumann's mental collapse and attempted suicide, and of Brahms's move to Düsseldorf to assist Clara Schumann and her young children. Brahms completed all but what
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