# Ein deutsches Requiem - rehearsal diary



## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Our chorus started work on this piece this week to be presented in May 2013 with orchestra. We are working off a public domain score which has the organ accompaniment, and our _Maestro_ and choral director have already gone through it and added and highlighted articulation and dynamic markings of which they want us to be particularly aware. AS part of our rehearsal packet, we also received translations, both line-by-line and block translations, a background of the piece, and and outline of its structure. I'll include these in future posts.

I've reviewed with interest this thread http://www.talkclassical.com/21459-german-requiem.html and will be looking for recordings on YouTube to further familiarize myself with the work. I heard it performed on a college campus a couple years ago when my son played horn in the orchestra.

We started rehearsal with the same straw-sipping exercise as previously. You sip air into your mouth as through a straw, and locate the cool spot it forms on the roof of your mouth. This then becomes a focal point for the placement of vowels in the mouth. As we were cycling through vowels (ah-eh-ee-oh-oo) we placed our hands in front of us and acted as if we were pushing down a basketball in water.

We sight-read our way through the first two movements, initially count-singing and then pulse-singing eighth notes on a syllable (maybe neh, but I honestly don't remember!). This is to help us line up our parts for precision.









Brahms, 1866, circa composition.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I first heard the work performed live on a college campus with my daughter playing cello. I enjoyed it then, but somehow I don't think I realized the true beauty of the work. I recently received Solti's Requiem as a present from my daughter. I've been listening to it almost non-stop over the past 3 days. 

I hope you enjoy performing it as much as I adore listening to it.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Amazing piece of music! I look forward to reading about your progress


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Our chorus director was "exhausted" after hosting Stephen Schwartz on campus for two days, so our assistant director was in charge of this week's rehearsal. Her goal was to read through movements 3 and 4 using count-singing, and then go back and review movements 1 & 2.
Movement 3 is a bit tricky because of multiple meter and tempo changes. We worked on each section separately, breaking down into parts and then layering each one back together. I noted that the soprano part is really high! After all this hard work, Movement 4 was a breeze.
We did have time at the end of rehearsal to review the first two movements.

We have not done anything with the German yet. The person sitting next to me can't wait to sing it in German; she says it will be so much easier for her (she's sung it before). I can wait.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

I remember reading your rehearsal diary on Mahler's 2nd symphony. Why do you always perform the good stuff?!


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

I think you have awesome managers or whoever it is that chooses the pieces you get to perform. First Mahler, then Wagner, then the German Requiem.. Your audience is truly a lucky one!


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Don't forget our Rossini _Stabat Mater_ earlier this season.

I'm pretty sure the Orchestra's music director (our _Maestro_) selects the pieces. Excellent choices, I agree. I have enjoyed learning and performing each one.

In our upcoming 2013-14 season we will be performing selections from Bernstein and Beethoven 9.


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2013)

I have the Klemperer/RPO "classic" recording of the Brahms Deutsches Requiem and I've never been able to 'dig' this work, despite repeated attempts. It seems so leaden to me and very muddy, lacking the melodic and harmonic interest of, say, the symphonies.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Here's an article published today about Stephen Schwartz's visit:
Paying it Forward
Our choral director is H.D., quoted in the article.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

We started last night's rehearsal with a new warm-up. We were supposed to hum, but with our mouths open. The only way I could figure out how to do this was by closing my throat, so I am not sure if I was doing it right. Then, starting from that same position, we cycled through vowel sounds; first on the same pitch, and then on an arpeggio. This exercise is designed to develop resonance while working on matching up our vowel sounds.

First piece up was Mvt 4. We spent what seemed like a great deal of time on the first 32 measures. The tenors got drilled on their big soli part _Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth!_ After this, the rest of the movement seemed to go so much better, even the fugue-like sections.

Next we tackled Mvt 6. Our director divided it into 3 sections, and we started on the last and worked our way backwards. This is a tricky movement (rivaled by Mvt 3) with multiple tempo changes and some fugue sections. We then read it forward, doing our best to look up to catch the tempo changes whilst reading the part.

These two movements took more than an hour and a half of practice, and then finally, break! It was really hot in the room and such a relief to get out into the hallway and even outside for some fresh air.

We then did Mvt 7, having now initially read through all the movements. It seemed quite easy after the more difficult sections we had completed.
Look at this lovely little pattern marked for us in our music. This pattern happens twice in this movement. It is ascending a scale in triplets, passing from the bass up through the soprano.









Next week we are going to break into sectionals and work on the two difficult Mvts 3 & 6, and our director has promised the German pronunciations will be posted on our website. We are expected to do quite a bit of independent practice on our own.

I heard some really nice things in this rehearsal and I am quite looking forward to performing this piece!


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

I was late to rehearsal this week and thus missed the warm-up. One consistent and favorite initial feature of our warm-up is the back rubs we give the person on each side of us...
As promised, we were in sectionals this week, men and women, both working on movements 3 and 6. We were able to make a lot of progress on these more difficult movements. The singing is mostly chromatic, but there are some large intervals. It is very important that we make our entrances with confidence and it is not always intuitive what the first note in the phrase is.

Our chorus director outlined the structure of the Requiem and said we will follow this structure in our rehearsals:

3.....6
2.....5
1.....7
...4

We still have not progressed to German but our chorus website now has pronunciation guides posted, which I hope to check out shortly. This weekend I am working on the two movements with the assistance of the Cyberbass website, my piano, and a good beer. I'm marking references in my music for where to find the entrance notes and have also highlighted my alto staff so I can consistently find it as it moves from being 2nd to third on the stave (as the baritone solo part is listed).


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

I was on time this week and curiously, no warmups...we went right into sectionals and rehearsed movements 3 and 6. Still no German in rehearsal.

The German is now posted via links on our website. I cannot open them using Google Chrome and have to use Internet Explorer. Similarly, I have the same issue with the sound file on Cyberbass. I started working on the German tonight.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

CountenanceAnglaise said:


> I have the Klemperer/RPO "classic" recording of the Brahms Deutsches Requiem and I've never been able to 'dig' this work, despite repeated attempts. It seems so leaden to me and very muddy, lacking the melodic and harmonic interest of, say, the symphonies.


I couldn't *dig* it either, when I owned the acclaimed EMI Philharmonia O./Klemperer et al recording. "Leaden and muddy" was pretty much my take, also.

HvK (DG) and Herreweghe (harmonia mundi) with two different styles to the rescue. You may find a recording that clicks. Don't give up. :tiphat:


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Working independently on German today. From our resources:

Johannes Brahms was highly sensitive to his texts, both in his choice of them and how he set them to music. This skill was surely at this most acute in his choice and combination of verses from the Bible--a particular irony considering that he was not at all conventionally devout and was perhaps agnostic. Heinz Beckler, the author of the essay on Brahms in _The New Grove_, explains his spiritual orientation as follows:

_Brahms was never "religious" in the strict sense of the word, but in the humane sense he was a Christian. The habits which outlasted his childhood included reading from the children's Bible he was given in the year of his birth and from which he compiled the texts for his sacred choral works. He read it constantly; to the end of his life it remained his book of books, and his correspondence is astonishing for its subtle grasp of problems in the scriptures. His personal religious viewpoint was logically thought out, as shown in his confessional _German Requiem_, which suppressed the eschatological objectives of the Christian faith in favor of a pious orientation to this world. "Life steals more from on than does death," he remarked once about himself. K. M. Reintaler tried to persuade him to add an appropriate movement to bring the _Requiem_ nearer the spirit of Good Friday; Brahms politely but firmly refused, and the final passages of the work are dominated not by a vision of merciless death but by comfort for those who are left to mourn._

More later.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

At last...German.

We rehearsed movement 1 and added the German. After the last two arduous weeks, it seemed so much easier. We were urged to think about the meaning of the words as we sang:

_Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Those who sow with tears
will reap with joy.
They go forth and weep,
bearing precious seeds,
and return rejoicing,
bringing their sheaves._
Matthew 5:4; Psalm 126: 5-6.

We were told be be especially aware of the _a cappella_ section at the beginning; an intonation trap for lesser choirs. We don't want to be one of them.

Then we worked extensively on Mvt 2, again with the German.

_For all flesh is like the grass
and all the magnificence of mortals
is like the flowers of the grass.
The grass has withered,
and the flower has fallen away.

So now be patient, dear friends,
until the life hereafter.
Behold, a husbandman waits
for the precious fruits of the earth
and is patient
until he receives
the early and later rain.

But the word of the Lord endures forever.

The redeemed of the Lord will return
and come to Zion with shouts of joy;
eternal joy will be upon their heads,
joy and delight will overcome them
and sorrow and sighing will have to depart._
1 Peter 1:24; James 5:7, 8a; 1 Peter 1:25; Isaiah 35:10.

Our director noted that this movement can be mapped to the stages of grief.

We were again urged to think about the meanings of the words as we sang them. As we sing "Denn alles Fleisch..." we are to sound stark and bleak. "Das Gras is verdorret" is nostalgic and pitiful. We worked on tempo changes, of which there are several.
The movement starts in 3/4 quarter note=72. At the key change it gets much faster (quarter note = 100), then returns to Tempo I and the original key. Then another key change and tempo change, this time conducted in 6, quarter note = eighth note, so about 1/2 speed. This doesn't last long, we move into 4/4 (Die Erloseten des Herrn), (my notes say Happy, happy!) at 120-128. Then a bit slower (Freude und Wonne) quarter note 104-108, to the end. The articulation markings change between _sostenuto_ and _marcato_ throughout.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Just a suggestion, since I see your choir tackles a lot of German-language works: Mahler, Wagner and now the German Requiem: how about taking at least a beginner's course in that language? You will get your pronunciation right, won't have to bother with it anymore for each specific work and you will be able to concentrate more on other aspects of performing.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

SL, I love your suggestion as I've always enjoyed learning languages. If only I wasn't working 50+ hours a week. I work from 7:30am to 6:30 or 7 on weekdays and usually take work home at night and on weekends...this choir is one of the few things in my life for which I make time. Next year we are doing English and German pieces.

Last night we worked our way right through movements 4-7. My notes:

Mvt 4. After the awesome tenor soli near the beginning (our rehearsal letter A) the rest of the chorus comes in using head voice to match tone. At entrance "Meine Seele..." should sound like raindrop notes. Line up the rhythm in the consonants. Use the commas to indicate phrasing. Separate "Vorhofen des Herrn." At rehearsal B (mein Leib und Seele...) like a heartbeat. The heart swells, goes back to heartbeat, then relaxes. Contrast between detaché and legato. No crescendo at "Wie lieblich sind deine..." Watch! 
Right before rehearsal D the tenors and basses have the coolest interlocking alternating part during "die loben, die loben" whilst the sopranos and altos are singing some longer phrases. Love it!
Very light release on the final "immerdar." Watch the conductor at the ending, may be rubato.

Mvt 5. Use consistent tone. Do not accent.

Mvt 6. I have a note about the tempo change at our rehearsal letter C (zu der Zeit der letzen Posaune). We will take it in 2. At the 3/4 signature change, should be militaristic. Contrast between marcato and sostenuto. In the quarter note pattern, the first note is NOT accented, the other two are and marked staccato. No ritard at the end of the movement. I have a personal note to spend some time on this movement before next rehearsal. I had problems getting the words in 

Mvt 7. We covered this quite quickly at the end of rehearsal and I don't have any additional notes.

I wrote down an interesting vocal note from our director about vowels.

_pp_ _mp_ _f_ _mf_ _p_
oo oh ah eh ee
1 2 3 2 1

The numbers represent grouping of vowel sounds. The dynamics represent the natural dynamic that occurs when one sings these vowels. Thus for example, if you are singing _p_ on an "ah" vowel, you have to be especially cognizant that you may be singing too loud.

Next week we plan to run the entire piece, so I'll be spending some time this weekend in practice to make sure I am ready.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

We managed to run the entire piece except for mvt. 7. Our director really wants us to understand the meaning of what we are singing. He seems pleased with our progress; we in the ranks, at least those around me, aren't quite so confident. _Maestro_ will be here this coming week to rehearse with us.

From our resource:

Brahms's choice of texts for the _Requiem_ illustrates his intimate knowledge of the Bible. He assembled the libretto himself, taking verses from eleven different Biblical and Apocryphal books, with as many as five passages from four books in a single movement (no. 2). Nonetheless, the disparate verses fit together as if they had been so conceived.

Some of the sacred works of Brahms based on Biblical texts exhibit a particular structure in which a statement of misery, affliction, or sadness is followed by uplifting and comforting words, usually from elsewhere in the Bible. This organization characterizes four of the seven movements in the _Requiem_, nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6. The remaining three movements reflect happiness in the contemplation of heaven (no. 4), and hope and comfort for the living and the dead (nos. 1 and 7,, respectively). The resultant structure is symmetrical, built around the fourth movement, the only one completely unburdened by any reference to death.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

We had a rehearsal with _Maestro_ earlier this week. It actually went better than I expected, but that doesn't mean it went particularly well. Our mvt 7 was particularly rough, but this is also the mvt on which we've spent the least time in rehearsal. 
Back to individual practice this weekend. I have not been successful in using Cyberbass, so I've been using several stratagems:
1. Reading the words poetically while looking at their meaning (this helps in expression).
2. Reading the words in rhythm.
3. Rehearsing along with YouTube and a piano.

We have three rehearsals with the orchestra next week (one or two of those will include the soloists), and then performance. Right now it just doesn't feel ready.

Maestro said the chorus will be sitting between most movements and sitting during all of movement 5 (soprano solo). I think this is odd, especially considering our history with those chairs on stage 

Here's a promo email I received for the concert:

*DPO Classical Series, Eternal Light*
Friday, May 17th, & Saturday, May 18 8pm-10pm
Single Tickets: $9 | $12 | $23 | $36 | $47 | $59
Call 888-228-3630 or daytonphilharmonic.com
Schuster Performing Arts Center

DEBORAH SELIG soprano
WILLIAM MCGRAW baritone
DAYTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
HANK DAHLMAN chorus director

The May program combines three highly varied works that, together, take you on an awe-inspiring spiritual journey. Arvo Pärt's brief, but deeply moving, tribute to composer Benjamin Britten sets a tone of hushed, sacred wonder. It is immediately followed by Britten's own orchestral reflections of the eternal themes contained within the Mass for the Dead. Then, the glorious German Requiem brings the evening to light. You are there when the DPO Chorus and full Orchestra reveal Johannes Brahms' deepest meditation on the nature of life and eternity.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Our Sunday paper had a nice article for our upcoming concert.

*DPO will embrace 'Eternal Light'*
Classical Series finale addresses concept of eternity.

Three distinct composers will be spotlighted in "Eternal Light" on Friday and Saturday at the Schuster Center as the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra's 2012-13 Classical Series comes to a close.
The concert, addressing contrasting views on the concept of eternity, will open with Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's "Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten" followed by Benjamin Britten's "Sinfonia da Requiem" and Johannes Brahms' "A German Requiem."

Primarily written for strings and chimes, "Cantus" is a soothing, six-minute canon grounded in a spiritual framework that particularly references musical chants. The composition was created as a musical lament in tribute to the British composer whose work Pärt greatly admired.

"It's a very beautiful and striking piece of music," said DPO music director Neal Gittleman. "It is built on a very simple idea - a descending minor scale that occurs simultaneously at five different speeds ranging from medium-fast to very slow. I still remember the first time I heard it. It was a real revelation."

The emotional, complex "Sinfonia da Requiem," regarded among the best of Britten's orchestral works, was written prior to World War II as a result of an invitation to create works to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of the Japanese Empire. Gittleman particularly wanted to include the work this season since 2013 marks the centennial of Britten's birth.

"The 'Sinfonia da Requiem' dates from 1939-1940 so its context was very much that of a world at war again after barely one generation of peace," he said. "Once hostilities broke out, Britten, naturally, caught flack for writing a piece for the Japanese. And when he delivered the piece, the Japanese rejected it because it wasn't celebratory and (because of) its overt connection - through the movement titles - to Western religious traditions. But once people heard the piece they quickly got past the awkward politics and timing and responded to its musical power."

Brahms' "A German Requiem," a deep meditation on life and eternity which uses the German Luther Bible as its source and was possibly written as a tribute to his deceased mother, was previously performed by the DPO shortly after 9/11. The memories of that performance still linger.

"It was a truly unforgettable experience to perform the piece at a time like that," said Gittleman. "It is not a traditional a requiem, which (concerns) the departed and their relationship to God, but something very different, a piece designed to provide comfort to the bereaved. The 2001 performance was so special because it was framed by a current events context. I wanted this performance to be special by virtue of its musical context. After a lot of thought I came up with the idea of (focusing on) three composers' different responses to loss."
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/entertainment/dpo-will-embrace-eternal-light/nXmWx/

...and then my husband pointed out a 1/3 page ad that had the names of everyone participating in the concert...perhaps to encourage us to practice today? I know I have been.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Lunasong, thank you for your continuances. I haven't noticed any transgressions for a while. Hoping that and a daily apple for the maestro, has rewarded you with a more prominent front and center. :tiphat:


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Thanks, Vaneyes. I haven't been able to include as much detail as previously because I usually write several days after our weekly rehearsal because of my heavy work schedule.
We will be spending the next three nights rehearsing with the orchestra.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)




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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

After 3 nights of rehearsal _en venue_, we are ready to perform tonight!

Our rehearsal schedule with the orchestra was:
Tues: 6:00 call, on stage 7:30 to 10. We rehearsed all 7 movements, with emphasis on the chorus-only movements.
Wed: 6:00 call, on stage 7:30 to 8:30. We rehearsed the movements with the soloists.
Thurs: 7:00 call, on stage 8:40 to 10. We rehearsed the entire work.

It impresses me that this schedule is rigidly adhered to, and it amuses me that the orchestral musicians move on-and-off stage during rehearsal if they do not perform during the movement (moreso amongst the brass). For example, on Monday, we rehearsed mvt 1 last, and the entire violin section got up and left. I also enjoy watching what the musicians do when they are not playing. Some are on their smartphones, and some still rely upon a magazine or book. Our principal horn player (whom I know) always brings a red water bottle with a white lid on stage with him, even during performance. He has been playing with the orchestra for 3 years and always has this water bottle, or else has always replaced it with the same model, or has a dozen of them at home.

My impressions:
I am staged right next to the organ. It plays some decidedly low pedal notes during this piece. They vibrate one's entire body.
Our soprano soloist is pregnant. I'm impressed that she still has her vocal and breath control. 
Our _Maestro_ and choral director are pushing us (chorus) pretty hard. I think this is because we are so close to being exceptional. 
During the fugue that ends mvt 3, the organ and basses do nothing but play a repeating D for 35 measures.
I was a half-hour late to rehearsal Thursday (last night) because I wanted to get everything done at work because I took today off. I wanted no hurry, no worries today (I even got a massage)! It has been a miracle that I have made the 6PM calls; I brought a lot of work home and did it after rehearsal, then back to work @ 7:30 AM...grueling.

Last night our choral director gave us a pep talk saying that each of us is one of about 100 people (actually there's 94 singing) that is performing this difficult piece tomorrow night. We need to be SINGERS, we need to be MUSICIANS, and affirm that to ourselves and act accordingly. He said the _Requiem_ is one of the more demanding choral pieces there is (the other he named was Handel's _Israel in Egypt_). 
After last night's rehearsal, now I know why we are getting to sit between movements. I wonder how our clap-happy audience will respond (they have a tendency to clap between movements...)?


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

From the program notes:

*Johannes Brahms* (1833 - 1897) grew up in the slums of Hamburg. His father was a freelance musician who played in bars, brothels, and theaters, later earning a spot in the bass section of the Hamburg Philharmonic. His mother, who was considerably older than his father, did odd jobs and ran the household on a slender budget. Both parents recognized Johannes' musical talent at an early age, and he began piano lessons at age seven. When he was just ten, a shady American impresario heard him play and offered to take him on a tour of the American "West." Thankfully, his piano teacher insisted that he stay in Hamburg and continue his musical studies; otherwise Brahms may have disappeared on the cheap theater circuit of Ohio, Illinois, and beyond.

In his teenage years, Brahms contributed to the household budget by playing piano in bars and brothels. Later in life, he suggested that these experiences ruined his chances of having "normal" relationships with women. He was a creative and prolific improviser, so he was quite popular with both the patrons and the ladies of the establishments where he served as entertainment.

When he was 20, Brahms met three musicians who changed his life. The first was Joseph Joachim, the famous Hungarian violinist. He invited Brahms to tour Europe, and soon they were playing to capacity crowds in every major musical city. Thanks to this experience, Brahms no longer needed to work in seedy bars to earn a living and was in great demand as a pianist. Despite some squabbles, Brahms and Joachim remained friends and musical associates for life. The other important figures were Robert and Clara Schumann, who recognized his composing skills and mentored him in every way possible. Robert, Clara, and Johannes developed an attachment that has puzzled biographers for over a century. Brahms probably harbored romantic desire for the older, attractive and gifted Clara, but there is little evidence that he acted on it. They remained close, and even after Brahms was firmly established as one of the leading composers of the period, he still sent scores of new works to Clara for inspection and advice. Much has been made of their relationship, often inflating things into a complex oedipal web of confused feelings and sexuality, but this tends to overlook the fact that Brahms developed serious but unfulfilled romantic interest in several women in his lifetime.

By the time he was in his late twenties, Brahms was in great demand as a composer, conductor, and pianist. He earned top musical appointments, but the one position he truly longed for eluded him--music director in Hamburg. The city's leaders apparently harbored some contempt for his humble roots in the slums and bars. When they finally offered him the position, Brahms turned it down with a caustic and bitter reply. His penchant for sarcastic, cruel remarks is legendary, and we tend to see Brahms later in life as a curmudgeonly, disheveled man who lashed out at nearly everyone. This popular image overlooks the fact that he was quietly generous with the fortune he had earned, often giving away large sums to friends, family, and young composers in need, even when they did not ask. Despite his international success, he preferred to live in a simple apartment in Vienna where he could walk the streets and hand out gifts of candy to needy children, greet the ladies of the night, and pass the time in a quiet working-class pub. His complex music is immortal, but his life was ultimately quite humble.

_A German Requiem, Op. 45_
Brahms was an intensely private person. He intentionally destroyed correspondence with close friends and usually answered direct inquiries about his thoughts and feelings with self-effacing jokes or sarcastic barbs. The gruff, dismissive exterior, of course, was a shield for his deeply sensitive and empathetic nature. His _German Requiem_ is one of the only chances we have to glimpse his true heart laid bare. Brahms often said he wanted to replace the word "German" with "human" in the title. The essence of this masterpiece is a beautifully constructed mosaic of comforting words and musical solace--a mass to console the living, not to grieve for the dead.

To achieve this, Brahms reinterprets the idea of a Requiem by using German translations of Bible passages he selected instead of the traditional Latin. He completed the work in stages over several years, resulting in a tightly designed seven-movement structure. The outer movements are the pillars--movement one is a blessing for the living and movement seven is a blessing for the dead. The inner movements also form a kind of symmetry, with the transcendent "How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place" as the fourth and central movement.

We know that the initial desire to compose the _German Requiem_ probably started with the death of Robert Schumann, his close friend and mentor, in 1856. Brahms' mother's death in February 1865 added the necessary impetus--catharsis, perhaps--to complete the work. He finished the bulk of the piece in about a year, with additional movements and revisions taking another two years. The final seven-movement version premiered in February 1869.

_Christopher Chaffee_


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

From the program again; notes from the musical director/_maestro_:

..the perfect program. Beautiful, powerful music presented in a combination that would appeal to both the emotion and the intellect. You get three distinct reactions to loss: one meditative, one angry, one comforting.

(Our marketing director) wasn't keen on (my proposed program). Not for musical reasons. For marketing reasons. "...in Memory of..." plus two works with "Requiem" in the title sounded too down for a season-ender.

I don't like to displease the man who sells the tickets so I took his objections very seriously. The Programming Committee discussed several alternatives. Keeping the program as-is. Keeping the Britten but finishing with something "up." Keeping the Brahms but pairing with something bright and "olé-olé." In the end, the Committee told me to take everyone's input into consideration, ponder it, and make the final decision.

I spent a long weekend mulling over the options and finally decided that the original program was the best program.
***

I sold the program to my husband and son: Three pieces about death! What better way to spend an evening! Actually, this program may have gone over well with the goth crowd. Sadly, I saw none in attendance. I thought both nights went well. Friday was great and Saturday was better than great. We didn't reach (IMO) the "exceptional" level. We got compliments that the "color" of the movements came through especially well, so all that work on the meaning of the words paid off.

On Friday, I sang next to a lady whom I'm been singing next to most of this rehearsal season with which I don't think I blend well, and a woman who just got moved next to me. Wow, that was a surprise as she sang with an amazing vibrato. It was not a pleasant experience. On Saturday, I accepted an opportunity to move up a row and had a much better night. But, strangely, as soon as I opened my music, I saw the bright reflection of SOMETHING dancing on and below my music out of the corner of my eye, and this continued all night. It was a bit distracting, but I was locked on _Maestro_ and trying to emote every word.

Our audience was well-behaved and did not clap between movements, and the soloists were wonderful. The chairs behaved as well.

I am glad it is over because it was HARD...but that is part of what makes it so rewarding. The chorus really kicked into gear over the past two weeks and improved probably 100%.

Now, to find a way to ask our chorus manager if I can be seated elsewhere, anywhere, except next to these two ladies next season. 
***

This concert will be webcast on Sept 28 and I will post more information closer to that date.


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## maestro57 (Mar 26, 2013)

Best of luck with this magnificent piece. I hope you'll have as much fun learning and singing it as I did when I was in university. The pronunciation was the most difficult for me - I'm not a native German-speaker


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## Aquos (May 26, 2013)

I remember singing this requiem... one of the best experiences of my life ever.


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## korenbloem (Nov 5, 2012)

I was never really impresssed by this piece, mostly because I hadn't heard the recording that touched me on a emotional ground. I was introduced by this piece through karajan, who is in my opion not a bad brahms interpretator. Then I bought the legendary recording from Klemperer on EMI. I liked it a little better then the Karajan's, but still it didn't impress me much. A few days ago I discoverd Gardiners, recording on Philips, and it makes me believe this is one the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

Funny how different preformance can effect your opion and listen experience of a piece so much.


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

How did it go, _Lunasong_?


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Hi Ravndal; see post 26 for some comments...I thought the performance was good but not great and; as I mentioned, when the weekend was over I was relieved because it was difficult for me to put in the extra independent practice time required along with my work schedule.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

Our concert will be webcast this Saturday, 21 Sept, at 10AM US Eastern Standard time.
Link: http://dpr.org/Listen Live.htm


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

10 AM, smart. Getting it over with before college football.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

korenbloem said:


> I was never really impresssed by this piece, mostly because I hadn't heard the recording that touched me on a emotional ground. I was introduced by this piece through karajan, who is in my opion not a bad brahms interpretator. Then I bought the legendary recording from Klemperer on EMI. I liked it a little better then the Karajan's, but still it didn't impress me much. A few days ago I discoverd Gardiners, recording on Philips, and it makes me believe this is one the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
> 
> Funny how different preformance can effect your opion and listen experience of a piece so much.


Yes, specific recs. can help undo blockage to a piece. I have several if not more experiences/examples of.

My initial phases for Brahms German Requiem were instigated largely by two things--foolishly taking a reviewer at his word, when he said stay away from it...no recording can help it. This opinion received more credence from me than it deserved, because BGR was not high priority for me in listening or collecting at the time.

Once I did get around to it (Phase 2), the oft-recommended Klemperer recording was the one chosen. Eventually, I felt that recording took some tempi a little slower than I like, and for whatever reasons, the sound was too hushed in places.

Years later, my preferences are two recs. HvK (DG, rec. '83), and Herreweghe (HM, rec.'96). More importantly, I greatly enjoy the work. It should not be considered a Brahms afterthought. Well, writing it for mom is good enough, isn't it? :tiphat:


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