Requiem (Reger)
Encyclopedia
The Requiem, Op.
144b, is a late Romantic composition of Max Reger
, also called Hebbel Requiem, a setting of Friedrich Hebbel
's poem Requiem. Reger wrote it in 1915 for alto
(or baritone
) solo, chorus and orchestra. It is his last finished choral work with orchestra.
He had written before in 1912 a Requiem for male voice choir
on the same words, as the final part of his Op. 83, and he had started to compose a setting of the Latin Requiem
in 1914, which remained a fragment and was later assigned the name and work number Lateinisches Requiem, Op. 145a.
had opened the way in A German Requiem to compose a Requiem about the rest for the dead, which is not liturgical and not in Latin
. The work known as Reger's Requiem, Op. 144b, is also not a setting of the Requiem
in Latin, but of a German
poem with the same title written by the dramatist
Friedrich Hebbel
, beginning: Seele, vergiß sie nicht, Seele, vergiß nicht die Toten (O soul, forget them not, o soul, forget not the dead). Peter Cornelius
had composed a requiem motet
on these words for a six-part chorus in 1863 as a response to the author's death. Reger wrote his first setting of the poem in 1912 in Meiningen
, where he worked since 1911 as a Hofkapellmeister of the duke Georg II of Sachsen-Meiningen
. Titled Requiem it was the final part of Zehn Lieder für Männerchor (Ten songs for mens voices), Op. 83. In 1914, after the outbreak of the war
, he began to compose a setting of the Latin Requiem
, which he intended to dedicate to the soldiers who fell in the war. The work remained unfinished, just a Kyrie and a fragment of a Dies Irae
. The Kyrie was later assigned the name and work number Lateinisches Requiem, Op. 145a. It was first performed by conductor Fritz Stein, Reger's friend and biographer, in Berlin in 1938.
In 1915, a year before his own death, Reger moved to Jena
and composed the poem again, this time for a solo voice (alto or baritone), chorus and orchestra. The Requiem, Op. 144b, was combined with Der Einsiedler (The Hermit), Op. 144a, on words of Joseph von Eichendorff
as Zwei Gesänge für gemischten Chor mit Orchester (Two songs for mixed chorus with orchestra), Op. 144. He wrote as a dedication in the autograph of the Requiem: "Dem Andenken der im Kriege gefallenen deutschen Helden" (To the memory of the German heroes who fell in the Great War).
The Requiem was first performed 16 July 1916, after the composer's death. The work was first published by N. Simrock
in 1916, and in 1928 by Edition Peters
, the performance duration given as 18 minutes.
, such as Psalm 103, "Bless the Lord, o my soul". The opening lines are repeated in the centre of the poem and also as its conclusion. The first section so framed describes the dead as hovering around you, shuddering, deserted (Sieh, sie umschweben dich, schauernd, verlassen) and imagines them, nurtured by love, to enjoy one last time their final glow of life. The second section pictures what will happen if you forget them: stiffening first, then seizure by the storm of the night through an endless desert full of battle for renewed being.
The key is D minor
, as is Mozart's Requiem
. The tempo in common time is marked Molto sostenuto
, kept with only slight modifications by stringendo and ritardando until the most dramatic section E, marked Più mosso (moving more) and later Allegro, returning to the first tempo for the conclusion.
The short instrumental introduction is based on an organ point
for several measures, reminding of the openings of Bach's St John Passion and St Matthew Passion. In a pattern strikingly similar to the beginning of A German Requiem, the bass notes are repeated, here on an extremely low D, lower even than the opening of Wagner's Das Rheingold on E flat. In the autograph Reger wrote the many necessary ledger lines (rather than using the symbol an octave lower), perhaps in order to stress the depth. The soloist alone sings the intimate appellation (A) Seele, vergiß sie nicht in a melody simple as a chorale
, repeating the first line after the second. Throughout the piece the soloist sings only these words, in the beginning and in the repeats. The chorus, divided in eight parts in B and B', illustrates the hovering in mostly homophon
chords, marked ppp. In C the chorus is divided in 4 to 6 parts, set in more independent motion. In A' the soloists sings similar to the first time, but repeats the second line once more while the chorus sings B'. In D the chorus literally stiffens on a dissonant 5-part chord fortissimo on the word erstarren. In great contrast the storm of E is depicted in dense motion of four parts imitating a theme in triplets. In the conclusion the soloist begins as before but this time finally the chorus joins in the words of the appellation. The soloist introduces a new wording Vergiß sie nicht, die Toten, repeated by the chorus (espressivo, dolcissimo) on the melody of the chorale O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden which Bach used in his St Matthew Passion in five verses. The melody is not repeated as in the original but continued for half of a line. Reger is known for quoting chorales in general and this one in particular, mostly referring to its last verse Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden. The quoted words would then be Wenn ich den Tod soll leiden, so tritt du denn herfür. Wenn mir am allerbängsten (When I my death must suffer, Come forth thou then to me! And when most anxious trembling). Reger completes the chorale setting in his way for the chorus, while the solo voice repeats Seele, vergiß nicht die Toten.
Debra Lenssen wrote in her thesis (2002) about Reger's music in his last choral works with orchestra:
arranged the work for voice, chorus and organ in 1985. The organ version was premiered in the Marktkirche Wiesbaden
, where Reger had played the organ himself when he had lived there starting in 1891. Gabriel Dessauer conducted a project choir, later known as the Reger-Chor
, Beckschäfer was the organist. The choir, expanded by singers from Belgium to the Reger-Chor-International, performed the work again in 2001 with organist Ignace Michiels
from the St. Salvator's Cathedral of Bruges
, both in the Cathedral of Bruges and in St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden
(recorded live). They performed it a third time in 2010 to celebrate 25 years Reger-Chor.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
144b, is a late Romantic composition of Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
, also called Hebbel Requiem, a setting of Friedrich Hebbel
Christian Friedrich Hebbel
Christian Friedrich Hebbel , was a German poet and dramatist.-Biography:Hebbel was born at Wesselburen in Ditmarschen, Holstein, the son of a bricklayer. He was educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums...
's poem Requiem. Reger wrote it in 1915 for alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
(or baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
) solo, chorus and orchestra. It is his last finished choral work with orchestra.
He had written before in 1912 a Requiem for male voice choir
Men's chorus
A men's chorus or male voice choir , is a choir consisting of men who sing with either a tenor or bass voice, and whose voices are arranged into high and low tenors , and high and low basses —and shortened to the letters TTBB...
on the same words, as the final part of his Op. 83, and he had started to compose a setting of the Latin Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
in 1914, which remained a fragment and was later assigned the name and work number Lateinisches Requiem, Op. 145a.
History
BrahmsJohannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
had opened the way in A German Requiem to compose a Requiem about the rest for the dead, which is not liturgical and not in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. The work known as Reger's Requiem, Op. 144b, is also not a setting of the Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
in Latin, but of a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
poem with the same title written by the dramatist
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Friedrich Hebbel
Christian Friedrich Hebbel
Christian Friedrich Hebbel , was a German poet and dramatist.-Biography:Hebbel was born at Wesselburen in Ditmarschen, Holstein, the son of a bricklayer. He was educated at the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums...
, beginning: Seele, vergiß sie nicht, Seele, vergiß nicht die Toten (O soul, forget them not, o soul, forget not the dead). Peter Cornelius
Peter Cornelius
Carl August Peter Cornelius was a German composer, writer about music, poet and translator. He was born and died in Mainz where his grave in the Hauptfriedhof survives....
had composed a requiem motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
on these words for a six-part chorus in 1863 as a response to the author's death. Reger wrote his first setting of the poem in 1912 in Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
, where he worked since 1911 as a Hofkapellmeister of the duke Georg II of Sachsen-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
. Titled Requiem it was the final part of Zehn Lieder für Männerchor (Ten songs for mens voices), Op. 83. In 1914, after the outbreak of the war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he began to compose a setting of the Latin Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
, which he intended to dedicate to the soldiers who fell in the war. The work remained unfinished, just a Kyrie and a fragment of a Dies Irae
Dies Irae
Dies Irae is a thirteenth century Latin hymn thought to be written by Thomas of Celano . It is a medieval Latin poem characterized by its accentual stress and its rhymed lines. The metre is trochaic...
. The Kyrie was later assigned the name and work number Lateinisches Requiem, Op. 145a. It was first performed by conductor Fritz Stein, Reger's friend and biographer, in Berlin in 1938.
In 1915, a year before his own death, Reger moved to Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
and composed the poem again, this time for a solo voice (alto or baritone), chorus and orchestra. The Requiem, Op. 144b, was combined with Der Einsiedler (The Hermit), Op. 144a, on words of Joseph von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff was a German poet and novelist of the later German romantic school.Eichendorff is regarded as one of the most important German Romantics and his works have sustained high popularity in Germany from production to the present day.-Life:Eichendorff was born at Schloß...
as Zwei Gesänge für gemischten Chor mit Orchester (Two songs for mixed chorus with orchestra), Op. 144. He wrote as a dedication in the autograph of the Requiem: "Dem Andenken der im Kriege gefallenen deutschen Helden" (To the memory of the German heroes who fell in the Great War).
The Requiem was first performed 16 July 1916, after the composer's death. The work was first published by N. Simrock
Fritz Simrock
Friedrich August Simrock, better known as Fritz Simrock was a German music publisher who inherited a publishing firm from his grandfather Nicolaus Simrock...
in 1916, and in 1928 by Edition Peters
Edition Peters
Edition Peters, also known as C.F.Peters Musikverlag, is a German music publishing house, founded in Leipzig in 1800.From the 1860s it was largely run by members the Hinrichsen family, who were Jewish. The company was confiscated by the Nazis and administered by the "Trustee of Jewish Property"....
, the performance duration given as 18 minutes.
Poem
The title of Hebbel's poem Requiem alludes to Requiem aeternam, rest eternal, the beginning of the Mass for the Dead. Hebbel writes indeed about the rest of the dead, but in a different way. In the first lines Seele, vergiß sie nicht, Seele, vergiß nicht die Toten (O soul, forget them not, o soul, forget not the dead) the speaker addresses his own soul not to forget the dead. The addressing of the soul reminds of some psalmsPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, such as Psalm 103, "Bless the Lord, o my soul". The opening lines are repeated in the centre of the poem and also as its conclusion. The first section so framed describes the dead as hovering around you, shuddering, deserted (Sieh, sie umschweben dich, schauernd, verlassen) and imagines them, nurtured by love, to enjoy one last time their final glow of life. The second section pictures what will happen if you forget them: stiffening first, then seizure by the storm of the night through an endless desert full of battle for renewed being.
Music
Reger's work is in one movement, following mainly the structure of the poem but with variations, resulting in a structure:- A Seele, vergiß sie nicht
- B Sieh, sie umschweben dich
- C und in den heiligen Gluten
- A' Seele, vergiß sie nicht
- B' Sieh, sie umschweben dich
- D und wenn du dich erkaltend ihnen verschließest
- E Dann ergreift sie der Sturm der Nacht
A Seele, vergiß sie nicht
The key is D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
, as is Mozart's Requiem
Requiem (Mozart)
The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the...
. The tempo in common time is marked Molto sostenuto
Sostenuto
In music, sostenuto is a term from Italian which means "sustained." It occasionally implies a slowing of tempo, though more often it refers to a very legato style in which the notes are performed in a sustained manner beyond their normal values....
, kept with only slight modifications by stringendo and ritardando until the most dramatic section E, marked Più mosso (moving more) and later Allegro, returning to the first tempo for the conclusion.
The short instrumental introduction is based on an organ point
Pedal point
In tonal music, a pedal point is a sustained tone, typically in the bass, during which at least one foreign, i.e., dissonant harmony is sounded in the other parts. A pedal point sometimes functions as a "non-chord tone", placing it in the categories alongside suspensions, retardations, and passing...
for several measures, reminding of the openings of Bach's St John Passion and St Matthew Passion. In a pattern strikingly similar to the beginning of A German Requiem, the bass notes are repeated, here on an extremely low D, lower even than the opening of Wagner's Das Rheingold on E flat. In the autograph Reger wrote the many necessary ledger lines (rather than using the symbol an octave lower), perhaps in order to stress the depth. The soloist alone sings the intimate appellation (A) Seele, vergiß sie nicht in a melody simple as a chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
, repeating the first line after the second. Throughout the piece the soloist sings only these words, in the beginning and in the repeats. The chorus, divided in eight parts in B and B', illustrates the hovering in mostly homophon
Homophony
In music, homophony is a texture in which two or more parts move together in harmony, the relationship between them creating chords. This is distinct from polyphony, in which parts move with rhythmic independence, and monophony, in which all parts move in parallel rhythm and pitch. A homophonic...
chords, marked ppp. In C the chorus is divided in 4 to 6 parts, set in more independent motion. In A' the soloists sings similar to the first time, but repeats the second line once more while the chorus sings B'. In D the chorus literally stiffens on a dissonant 5-part chord fortissimo on the word erstarren. In great contrast the storm of E is depicted in dense motion of four parts imitating a theme in triplets. In the conclusion the soloist begins as before but this time finally the chorus joins in the words of the appellation. The soloist introduces a new wording Vergiß sie nicht, die Toten, repeated by the chorus (espressivo, dolcissimo) on the melody of the chorale O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden which Bach used in his St Matthew Passion in five verses. The melody is not repeated as in the original but continued for half of a line. Reger is known for quoting chorales in general and this one in particular, mostly referring to its last verse Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden. The quoted words would then be Wenn ich den Tod soll leiden, so tritt du denn herfür. Wenn mir am allerbängsten (When I my death must suffer, Come forth thou then to me! And when most anxious trembling). Reger completes the chorale setting in his way for the chorus, while the solo voice repeats Seele, vergiß nicht die Toten.
Debra Lenssen wrote in her thesis (2002) about Reger's music in his last choral works with orchestra:
As their composer's final completed works for chorus and orchestra, Der Einsiedler and Requiem, Op. 144a and 144b, demonstrate Max Reger's mature ability when setting poems of recognized literary merit. These powerful single-movement works from 1915 defy many stereotypes associated with their composer. They manifest a lyrical beauty, a dramatic compactness, and an economy of musical means. The central theme of both is mortality and death. Chapter 1 of this study provides biographical material on Reger gleaned from current and historical materials published largely in German. Chapters 2 and 3 contain analyses of the poems by Joseph von Eichendorf and Christian Friedrich Hebbel set in Op. 144a and 144b and an identification and analysis of the harmonic, melodic, textual, structural and timbral properties of Reger's response to them in the Zwei Gesänge für gemischten Chor mit Orchester, Op. 144. The finding is that his careful control of compositional parameters in these works results in a powerful distillation of lifelong compositional habits. In these challenging works, his mastery of impulse, technique, and material is apparent. Op. 144 constitutes both a continuation of Reger's choral/orchestral style in earlier works and, by dint of the composer's death as a mid-aged man, the culmination of it.
Organ version
The Requiem employs a huge orchestra and requires a chorus to match. Therefore it has been performed only rarely. To make the remarkable music more accessible, composer and organist Max BeckschäferMax Beckschäfer
Max Beckschäfer is a German organist, composer and academic.- Professional career :Beckschäfer took classes at the Richard-Strauss-Konservatorium in Munich in organ, piano, violin and choral conducting. He studied church music at the Musikhochschule München and continued studying composition with...
arranged the work for voice, chorus and organ in 1985. The organ version was premiered in the Marktkirche Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, where Reger had played the organ himself when he had lived there starting in 1891. Gabriel Dessauer conducted a project choir, later known as the Reger-Chor
Reger-Chor
The Reger-Chor is a project choir founded in 1985 and conducted by Gabriel Dessauer in Wiesbaden. Since 2001 it has grown to Reger-Chor-International in a collaboration with the organist Ignace Michiels of the St. Salvator's Cathedral of Bruges, performing an annual concert both in Germany and...
, Beckschäfer was the organist. The choir, expanded by singers from Belgium to the Reger-Chor-International, performed the work again in 2001 with organist Ignace Michiels
Ignace Michiels
Ignace Michiels is a Belgian organist at the St. Salvator's Cathedral of Bruges, a choral conductor and an organ teacher. He is internationally known as a concert organist.- Professional career :...
from the St. Salvator's Cathedral of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, both in the Cathedral of Bruges and in St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden
St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden
St. Bonifatius in Wiesbaden, Germany, is the central Catholic parish and church in the capital of Hesse. The present building was designed by architect Philipp Hoffmann in Gothic Revival style and built from 1844 to 1849. Twin steeples of 68 m dominate the Luisenplatz. The parish is part of the...
(recorded live). They performed it a third time in 2010 to celebrate 25 years Reger-Chor.
Recordings
- Max Reger, Chorstücke, Max van EgmondMax van EgmondMax van Egmond is a Dutch bass and baritone singer. He has focused on oratorio and Lied and is known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Professional career :...
, Junge Kantorei, Symphonisches Orchester BerlinBerliner SymphonikerBerliner Symphoniker ia a Symphony orchestra in Berlin, Germany.The orchestra began its performing activity on 1 September 1967 as Symphonisches Orchester Berlin. In 1990 it was renamed Berliner Symphoniker...
, conductor Joachim Martini, recorded live in the Berliner PhilharmonieBerliner PhilharmonieThe Berliner Philharmonie is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany. Home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the building is acclaimed for both its acoustics and its architecture....
, TeldecTeldecThe Teldec is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.-History:...
1969 - Max Reger Requiem, Op. 144b; Lateinisches Requiem, Op. 145a; Dies irae, Marga Höffgen, North German Radio Choir and Symphony OrchestraNorth German Radio Symphony OrchestraThe North German Radio Symphony Orchestra is a German orchestra, the symphony orchestra of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg....
, conductor: Roland Bader, Koch Schwann 1988 - Max Reger Orchesterlieder, Dietrich Fischer-DieskauDietrich Fischer-DieskauDietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a retired German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder performers of the post-war period and "one of the supreme vocal artists of the 20th century"...
, St Michaelis Choir Hamburg, Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg, Philharmoniker HamburgPhilharmoniker HamburgThe Philharmoniker Hamburg is a German symphony orchestra based in Hamburg. Its current Music Director is GMD Simone Young. It is also the orchestra of the Hamburg State Opera....
, conductor Gerd AlbrechtGerd AlbrechtGerd Albrecht is a German conductor. He was a first-prize winner at the International Conductors Competition in Besançon at age 22. His first post was as a repetiteur at the Stuttgart State Opera. Later, he became Senior Kapellmeister at the Mainz Municipal Theatre, and Generalmusikdirektor in...
, Orfeo 1990 - Hebbel Requiem (organ version), Reger-Chor-International, organist Ignace MichielsIgnace MichielsIgnace Michiels is a Belgian organist at the St. Salvator's Cathedral of Bruges, a choral conductor and an organ teacher. He is internationally known as a concert organist.- Professional career :...
, conductor Gabriel DessauerGabriel DessauerGabriel Dessauer is a German cantor, concert organist and academic. He has been responsible for the church music at St. Bonifatius, Wiesbaden, since 1981. He is an internationally known organ recitalist and an organ teacher on the faculty of the Gutenberg University of Mainz...
, 2001
External links
- Requiem compositions of Max Reger on requiemsurvey
- Entries for the Requiem, Op. 144b on WorldCatWorldCatWorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...