R.R.P £19
Our Price £16
| Product Code: | 979-0-004-81176-4 |
| ISMN: | 979-0-004-81176-4 |
| Publishers Number: | EB 6757D |
| Orchestration: | solos: SATB – choir: SATB – 2.2.2.2 – 2.2.3.0 – timp – str |
| Page count: | 45 |
| Condition: | New |
Robert Schumann, a church musician? His two sacred works, the Mass in C minor op. 147 and the Requiem in D flat major op. 148, are a …revelation. While Schumann had made a name for himself as a composer of songs and piano music in his younger years, the sudden turn to church music in his later works is surprising. Schumann was not a church-going Christian, but his position as music director in Düsseldorf required him to perform major works in the Catholic Church two or three times a year. During this period, which was increasingly marked by professional and health difficulties, Schumann composed his Mass in C minor and the Requiem in D flat major. The Requiem was never performed in Schumann’s lifetime. It was thanks to Clara Schumann that the Requiem was premiered (1862) and published (1864) a few years after Robert Schumann’s death. The roles of soloists and choir are almost equally ranked in the nine-part Requiem. While the choir is primarily assigned exclamatory and narrative passages, the expression of the solos is mostly more intimate. Schumann demonstrates particular skill in writing for choir. Here in the Requiem op. 148, it ranges from homophonic blocks to elaborate fugues such as in the second movement a kind of triple fugue, in the Offertory or in the Sanctus. Schumann took considerable liberties with the liturgical text, which contains several shortenings and alterations. The Requiem is suitable for both the liturgy and the concert hall. The piano vocal score was made by the composer; the corresponding performance material is available on hire from Breitkopf & Härtel.
