Thursday 06 April 2017

Edvard Grieg Choir takes part in the performance of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem .

Brahms's great work for soloists, choir and orchestra has dramatic power as well as being touchingly intimate.

Johannes Brahms was 31 years old when he began his requiem in 1865. He had just experienced death at close range, his mother died the same year and Brahms mourned the loss.

Brahms did not use the Latin text that was common in funeral Masses, but chose it himself from Luther's German-language Bible.

The message was comfort and encouragement for the living, not intercession for the dead. The music has dramatic power, while at the same time it is touchingly intimate for the mourners.

The first performance of the complete work was given in Cologne in 1869 with great success, and the work was performed all over Germany in a short time. The symphonist Brahms had his breakthrough with a choral work!

Organized with generous support from Reformationen 500 år and Rika AS by Yvonne and Bjarne Rieber.