Archived performance
About this performance
Program
Schütz Selig sind die Toten
Schütz Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem
Featuring
Warren Trevelyan-Jones conductor
MSO Chorus
Tom Griffiths piano*
Donald Nicolson piano*
The concert
Recognised as one of the greatest choral works ever written, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (German Requiem) is a message of hope, consolation and compassion. The MSO Chorus – appearing without orchestra for the first time since 2015 and accompanied by piano – will bring to life this most beautiful piece, widely-regarded as Brahms’ finest composition.
In contrast to the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, Ein deutsches Requiem focuses on the living rather than praying for the dead; sympathy and comfort are recurring themes throughout the piece. It carries the timeless message of consolation and hope in times of tragedy.
Warren Trevelyan-Jones, MSO Chorus Master and conductor for this special event, explains what makes this performance so distinctive. “A concert like this, when supported only by piano, is a wonderful opportunity to show off the Chorus. When you pull away the orchestral layers of a mainstage Choral performance, you can truly hear the clarity and intricacies of the vocal lines.”
Voice was humanity’s earliest instrument, and is the first musical element a child reaches for when first introduced to music. The MSO Chorus represents the pinnacle of vocal music in Melbourne, and the opportunity to hear 100 choristers in the acoustic perfection of Elisabeth Murdoch Hall is unmissable.
*In this special performance, the MSO Chorus will be accompanied by ‘piano four hands’, a duet with both players playing on a single piano. While these alternative arrangements are very common, what makes this reduction so exceptional is that Brahms himself wrote it.
Pictured: MSO Chorus
