B. Britten -War Requiem

[audiochild]

Hi

I mentioned this in another thread and as this is one of my very favourite orchestra/choir works I was interested what your opinions are on this.

I'm loving it -especially the "dies irae" and the "libera me" though the male solo singers parts seem to be a little long sometimes...

any opinions?

[Sean R. Beeson]

It has a very distinct flavor to my ears. I am not incredibly familiar with the piece, (I know it enough to be able to recognize it) but it is beautiful in the right that it has some almost haunting qualities to it that are sustained throughout the entire work.

[nikolas]

Although not a fan of Britten, myself, (prefer Birthwistle by far...) I have to say that the War Requiem is a great work and I do enjoy listening to it.

[audiochild]

Ah great that you know it!

I'm just so obsessed with it haha.
in my conservatory all the instrumentalists who don't play an orchestra instrument have to sing in the choir for 2 years and when I did it one of our works was that requiem. didnt know it before but it was a great experience as our choir had about 200 people in it. though nearly all of them not singers but still musicians. well musicians, not singers haha. at least not drummers lol. sorry just a joke.
I remember in the second performance night I had a cola at my left feet because it was so long and I was so shattered. forgive me. :p

I heard this record of the piece some time ago and in the lacrimosa part (its so beautiful) there is the most shaking soprano singing. I'd so love to know who it is but I'll probably never know.

by the way what are your favourite orchestra with choir pieces? maybe an older one and one of the 20th century?
would love to discover some new pearls.

[nickysnd]

by the way what are your favourite orchestra with choir pieces? maybe an older one and one of the 20th century?
would love to discover some new pearls.
Two astounding Requiems - Mozart's and Ligeti's.

[Peterkjones]

Just a poignant historical footnote. The War Requiem was conceived as an act of reconciliation. The beautiful mediaeval cathedral in Coventry in the Midlands of the UK, had been destroyed in the wanton carpet-bombing of the city by the Germans. Although the outskirts of the town were an industrial complex, there was no strategic value in flattening the city (and it indirectly led to the equally barbaric flattening of Dresden in return by the Allies). A new cathedral was commissioned (itself an absolutely wonderful 50s masterpiece by one of Great Britain's finest post-war architects) and filled with modern works of art - statues by Epstein, windows by John Piper and a huge tapestry by Graham Sutherland. The opening service was a service of reconciliation with representatives from all the warring nations present. The War Requiem was given that night. Britten insisted that Dietrich Fischer-Diskau (a German), Peter Pears (an Englishman) and Galina Vishnevskaya (a Russian) were the soloists to reflect this. This was not without controversy in the gung-ho triumphalist attitudes post-war. Even more so because it was well-known (though, of course, never admitted publicly), that Peter Pears was the gay Ben Britten's lover. Even more controversially, he and Britten were committed pacifists and conscientious objectors who had fled to America during hostilities to avoid compulsory service or internment. You can imagine the emotional environment in which the work was received! There were critics, for whom nothing that Britten could write would ever be acceptable (he made great enemies in the musical world) but it is now surely recognised as a towering masterpiece. And on a completely bathetic note, as a pretty young chorister I got my bottom patted by Ben!!!!

[gljm99]

The War Requiem for me is the greatest 20th Century choral piece. With it’s use of the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass with it’s power, and warning , juxtapose with the heart piercing poems of the great WWI solider poet Wilfred Owen(who was tragically killed on Nov 4) just before the Armistice was signed .which blend perfectly together, never fail to leave you emotionally drained after a performance. Britten, as was said before was a life long pacifist and Owen was at first a Rah- Rah war is good ! solider who during the course of the struggle became one of war’s most outspoken critics showing in his poems the shear inhumanity , suffering, loss and uselessness of man’s brutality to his fellow brothers. Pears ( who was also a pacifist) picked the poems to be set beside the Latin text with great care choosing poems which both commented on and clarified in a modern sense the ultimate doom and hopeful redemption the ancient text portrays. Britten’s music never falters it perfectly conveys each emotion and texture of both sets of texts. Britten for me, is my favorite, fully grounded in the 20th century, composer.
I first heard his music in my early teens and he quickly became my idol. His operas are jeweled settings, his song cycles exquisite pearls . Listen to his Variations on a theme by Frank Bridge -(who was his teacher) if you want to know how to write for strings. Of course he also wrote the Variations and Fugue on a theme by Purcell otherwise know as The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra - a delightful introduction to the sounds and various playing techniques of the instruments of the orchestra. His Spring Symphony is another great piece for chorus and orchestra

Some other favorite orchestra and chorus pieces I love are:


Berlioz - Requiem. Where else can you get to hear a full symphony orchestra + Chorus +4 brass bands each to be placed at the 4 compass points + 20 Timpani all playing at the same time .When the Timpanists change notes altogether it is like the voice of God himself shouting from the Heavens ! At live performances the shear volume and power of the sound pushes you back into you seat.

Poulenc - Stabat Mater . Poulenc wrote a good bit of music for both accompanied and un- accompanied chorus. If you don’t know the music of Poulenc you should ! In this work he uses his famous musical wit to combine the sacred and profane into a masterpiece.

I know you only wanted two but anyway:

Faure - Requiem . One of the most beautiful religious works ever written and by an atheist ! His use of modality is brilliant. His setting of the Agnus Dei with it’s exquisite counter melody in the strings is one of the most perfect settings of the prayer . Even the most hardened and jaded people I’ve gone to performances of this work have tears streaming down their cheeks after the final movement In Paradisium. Try to listen to a recording like the John Rutter which uses Faure’s own orchestration (Faure did not orchestrate much of his own music farming out for others to do)

[audiochild]

@nickysnd: yes, I love the Mozart Requiem, actually I can't get the strings beginning of the lacrymosa out of my head.
I prefer other of Ligetis work but I like the Kyrie very much.

Faure's and Berliozes are great too, I don't remember stabat mater too well but there was one part that I was in love with, have to listen again.

[danpowers]

Britten's War Requiem is one of my favorite pieces of all time, in any genre. I first heard it when I was 12 or 13, and went out and bought the record as soon as I could. It was also one of the first orchestral scores I bought with my own money, when I started to have money.

Since we're recommending other works here, I'll throw in a mention of the Requiem of Maurice Durufle. It reminds me of Faure a bit, but also there's a lot of Bach in there.

A Requiem to avoid is Karl Jenkins'. Trust me, just don't go there!

[nikolas]

Schnittke has made a brilliant Requiem, but I'll be blantly honest:

Brahms. The Deutche Requiem (Jan? You should be ashamed for not remembering it! :D)
I enjoy quite a lot Brahms. Symphonies adn especially the haunting 1st movement from his piano and violin sonata (2nd sonata actually).

Going off-topic here I'm afraid... :P

[audiochild]

oh Schnittke with his "throwing the brain at the wall" lyrics...

naah Nikolas I did'nt forget about Brahms but I just referred to the ones mentioned before.
I like Brahms a lot but it sounds so funny when they sing in old german style. carmina buranais even worse in that point. haha

we have a kind of saying here for a melody out of a movement of one of his symphonies. don't remember which one, well there are thirds falling, very mathematical and people sing along to it: "mir fällt - mal wie -der gar - nichts ein" which means something like: again I have no idea what I should write. lol
I remember some funny story about him. he had this long beard all over his face and on one of his walks someone showed up (don't remember who) and said: "you are looking more and more similar to one of your variations, where its hard to recognize the theme." LOL

oh andI know Durufle as its always on every cd with faure requiem. haha