It is at the concert, not at the liturgy, that Brahms intends his German Requiem. Written in German rather than Latin, the work bears the imprint of a double loss suffered by Johannes Brahms: that of his friend Robert Schumann in 1856, then that of his mother in 1865.
It is neither solemn nor funerals, but rather intimate and personal, as the texts of the fifth movement testify: «Like a man whose mother console him, so I will comfort you». Brahms chooses texts from the Bible with a universal purpose: more than a mass of the dead, he proposes us a meditation on the meaning of life. Moreover, he had thought of naming his work «Human Requiem» rather than «German Requiem».
“Hell is over after that. I have dedicated myself to the noble task of making this immortal piece a pleasure for those who like to play in duet. Now this work can no longer perish.” This is how Brahms expressed himself when he completed the version for piano with four hands in 1869, which was presented on the occasion of the Belles Sorties.
Distribution
Soprano: Stéphanie GOUILLY
Baritone: Florian BISBROUCK
Pianists: Magali BOURLET, Pierre BOURTEEL
Hauts-de-France Regional Choir
Directorate: Éric DELTOUR
Duration: 1h15 without intermission
All-comers
Bus L904, 905, 906, 978
Tram stop Trois Suisses
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