Brahms’s masterpiece is called a ‘German' Requiem because Brahms set
texts from the Lutheran Bible, rather than the more commonly used
liturgical Latin text of the Mass for the Dead. This was his first
major success, the soprano solo adding remarkable tenderness and
sorrow, feelings prompted by the death of his mother in 1865. This
performance of Ein Deutsches Requiem (1865-68) will be sung in the
original German, and will be our first opportunity to utilise the
new grand piano in St Matthew’s Church, the purchase of which we
helped to fund. Brahms himself arranged the work for soprano and
baritone soloists, choir, and piano duet. To put Brahms’s
masterpiece in context, we will hear music which inspired him -
Bach’s Passacaglia in C minor, originally for organ solo, but
arranged by Max Reger for piano duet - and music which was inspired
by him - Reger’s Requiem (again, not a setting of the Latin text,
but of a short poem by Friedrich Hebbel.
Programme:
Northampton Bach Choir
Conductor - Lee Dunleavy
Soprano -
Rebecca Bottone
Baritone - Gwion Thomas
Piano Duet - William Thallon and Ivan Linford
Requiem, op. 144b - Max Reger
(1873-1916)
arr. for piano duet accompaniment* by Lee Dunleavy
(from Reger’s own piano solo reduction)
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582) - J. S. Bach (1685-1750).
arr. for piano duet by Reger
Interval
Ein deutsches Requiem, op. 45 -
Johannes Brahms (1833-97)
arr. for piano duet accompaniment by the composer
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