Johannes Brahms. A German Requiem

Helmuth Rilling has performed Brahms’ “German Requiem” many times as a conductor. Drawing on his intimate knowledge of the score, in this book he examines the question of what Brahms wanted to express with his work, and which means he used to achieve this. Rilling vividly describes how the composer structured the movements, which themes and motifs he devised and developed, which harmonic approaches he adopted, and how he enabled the meaning of the text to come alive with his themes centered around mourning and comfort. So a spontaneous, emotional experiencing of the music can be accompanied by informed listening. Valuable suggestions for musicians who want to perform the “German Requiem”, drawn from the author’s profound knowledge of the work, round off the publication.

Following on from the enthusiastic reception of the German-language original edition (Carus 24.076/00), the book is now available in an English translation by Greta Konradt.