Music Director
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Ein deutsches Requiem
"Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen "
German Composer Johannes Brahms was one of the last purely Romantic composers. The superlative quality of Brahms's counterpoint may be a result of his study of the works of J. S. Bach, but also of the works of the Renaissance polyphonists. Brahms composed works for orchestra and chorus but also a capella motets which harkened back to earlier eras, but were imbued with the chromatic harmonic language of the Romantic era.
The German Requiem, using biblical German texts selected by the composer rather than the Latin liturgy, was first performed on Good Friday in 1868. Brahms began to plan the Requiem following the death of his mother in 1865. The moving and immensely popular work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra is meant to comfort those who grieve for lost loved ones. "Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen" is the fourth of the Requiem's seven movements. This favorite movement paints the emotions of the psalm text in a superb way.
Notes by Beth Bergman Fisher