Brahms: A German Requiem

[@BrentAPitts]

A superb performance by supremely gifted musicians. I listen again and again. Thank you, Johannes, for sharing your musical genius. Du bist nicht vergessen.

[@DocVulkan]

wonderful energy, and enthusiasm. A powerful interpretation of one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

[@billdomb]

What an absolute privilege to perform this amazing work. Thanks for sharing.

[@rachel.naomidowlingmcdanie80]

As always, beautiful and Spiritual.

[@FranzFischerSDG]

I can feel the sorrow and loneliness of Brahms after his mother's departure toppled with the long grief of his best friend/mentor Schumann's death. I think Brahms wrote this to comfort his soul. New England Conservatory really shows the tradition of real musical education as the oldest music institution in America. Many music institutions are gear to preparation for competition without real in depth basic education. Bravo to the entire chorus, orchestra and wonderful soloists and of course the conductor. The legacy of Lorna Cooke deVaron lives on at NEC.

[@rachel.naomidowlingmcdanie80]

I traveled to Varna Bulgaria while a member of the Charleston Southern University Concert Singers under the baton of Dr. V. Bullock, Chair of the department. We sang with the Varna Community Singers and Orchestra. Only one member spoke English, but the communication was wonderful! All sang as one in German!!!!👍🏾👍🏾💕💕 The excellence of Brahms' delivery from pen and pencil spoke directly to me. The V movement touches my soul, Several years before singing the Requiem, my mother passed and due to my beliefs, I witnessed the reality of life after death. I know mother joined father and others in the heavenly realm. To God Be the Glory.

[@maryditzel559]

I'm glad to see such beauty in music valued.

[@marcvolpe8252]

MARY YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL ADORABLE SEDUCTIVE RAVISHING SENSUAL SEXY CAPTIVATING AND PASSIONATE MARRY ME 💗

[@jerryshepherd6725]

Wow this is great, I really love watching the musicians perform!!

[@antoniuscoronius9898]

I thought it was a really lovely performance. Great soloists.

[@charlessawyer6123]

2. 10:24 Denn alles Fleish 15:35 :|| 124 19:20 198 3. 24:09 Herr, lehre doch mich 28:59 130 30:59 173 4. 33:30 Wie lieblich 5. 38:16 Ihr habt nun 6. 44:35 Denn wir haben 7. 55:13 Selig sind die Toten

[@genesiskeglar6372]

Gracias

[@charlessawyer6123]

@@genesiskeglar6372 De nada.

[@akankowilson3614]

Beautiful harmony ❤🥺🥰

[@cawag98]

Thank you for this. A friend of a friend died recently, and I pulled this up and sent it to the one left living. Mahler wrote this, I think, for the woe and the sorrow that falls on those left behind. It is a wonderful testament to, of course, death and suffering, but also to the human condition and the power of us left on the planet to make something of the time we have left. Bravo, NEC. I particularly liked this recording because it's Jordan Hall of course, but also because it's played by the young, the living. There is hope!

[@jonnieinbangkok]

It's called Brahm's German Requim...and it's not because it was written by Mahler!

[@9er..]

Still very well said...Everyone knew who/what you meant....some pepole are just dicks...

[@abs0716]

Fabulous!!

[@stevewatt3393]

Beautifully dramatic. Thumbs up.

[@kidmarine7329]

Performed well and sung beautifully. I thought the tempo a bit rushed though.

[@56hitler44]

Che bello brano! Ho detto ramentera di una vitta brahms,perche lla vitta di brahms e condizione troppo severo quindi sono trista.

[@boaz1353]

i quite like the vibrato

[@maud5400]

Did they really perform this whole thing in one sitting?

[@ronaldolvis963]

😢Level 1 Phonics Pilamonic vs Drama renames come

[@exysbb9401]

A straighter tone required from the chorus. I also note one - possibility two - strong soprano voices were strained leading to a loss of intonation - usually sharp. This was then exacerbated by the forced vibrato . Verdi it ain't. The complicated contrapuntal lines of the musical so typical of Brahms become vague unless each vocal part is interpreted " cleanly"

[@RossoBianco1895]

100% agreed.

[@danmoran454]

A fluttering Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Opera Style. This is not opera. Why the vibrato in the Chorus, particularly in the soprano and tenors sections? All sections of the Chorus started out with a lovely straight tone which gave them perfect intonation in the very hushed beginning few measures and with impeccable diction. But the louder they sing the more fluttering, almost nervous-sounding and operatic the sound particularly in the fluttering soprano section as if they're striving to sound like an Opera Chorus, as opposed to a Symphony Chorus. Why didn't they keep their straight tone -- giving them the perfect blending of voices -- throughout the piece? Their voices don't blend and some voices stick out with different frequencies of vibrato being used by the choristers. It's a shame really. Disappointed. I enjoyed the orchestra though.

[@richardlamborn4186]

The beginning truly was lovely. Most American adult choruses are going to sing with some vibrato. Also bear in mind that the performers are students. Finally many orchestral conductors don't know how to handle vocal technique.

[@danmoran454]

@@richardlamborn4186 "Most American adult choruses are going to sing with some vibrato." Not if they are well-trained and highly selected from auditions, whether they are students or not. And these are Conservatory students, not your average student. But again, it has to do with the training. I've heard many academic/student Choruses sing with the desired straight tone. With other choral ensembles, often the tenors and basses sing with the desired straight tone and the sopranos and altos are wobbling all over the place with heavy-vibrato, as if the men and women were trained by two different Chorus Directors. The sound is not consistent. The finest choristers (students and adults) will know to use their "choral voice" in the Chorus and not their "solo voice" (where they might use noticeable vibrato). Just as when the soloists with Les Arts Florissants turn off their noticeable vibrato when joining the LAF Chorus for an encore and all on stage are singing with perfect intonation. Perfect intonation -- no noticeable vibrato -- is one of the foundations of choral excellence. *Some* orchestral conductor *may* know something about vocal technique. Many do not because they have no training in that, especially when they majored in violin or percussion, and have never studied voice. It's up the Chorus Director to "handle vocal technique" not the orchestral conductor. S/he can only make minor adjustments to the "sound" they want during the dress rehearsal before a performance. And may have to consult with the Chorus Director in order to do that because the orchestral conductor doesn't know the language to use with the Chorus and has no serious training in working with a Chorus. I speak from experience in Orchestra Choruses. Many orchestral conductors can do phrasing stuff (reworking a phrase) and diction (ex. "Chorus: put the t of et on the third beat instead of the half beat where you're currently putting it"), but that's about it. The Chorus Director has done all of the work before the Chorus appears on stage with the Orchestra.

[@dennisrice2763]

@@danmoran454 Correct. It has to do with the training and most all symphonic conductors know little about correct choral training. "Oh, doesn't that sound nice" doesn't cut it.

[@dennisrice2763]

@@richardlamborn4186 This conductor doesn't know how to handle the music. I hear little real dynamic contrasts, articulation, change of color. Not putting down the students, but the choir is not prepared.

[@richardlamborn4186]

Thanks for both your replies. I have learned to listen better. I'll return to my "just students" issue. In my experience, larger conservatory choirs draw on the whole vocal student body, from first year students who are still learning, to those ready to graduate and begin their professional careers, most likely as soloists. Indeed, early on, one soprano does go off on her own private aria. There's an apparently never ending debate that won't get finished here regarding straight tone and vibrato. As someone said, if you want to listen to an English boy choir then you should listen to an English boy choir. But that's not how healthy adult voices work. The issue is rather how narrow or wide a vibrato and at what frequence. Vibrato lubricants the vocal cords so you don't have dry tissue beating against dry tissue. That's like driving your car with no motor oil. I attended a church in a large eastern US city where the new, well regarded, music director slowly had the adult choir change from straight tone to limited vibrato. I didn't like it. But following the advice above I should have switched to the parish with the boy choir school. And so it goes.

[@jonnieinbangkok]

While the chorus is outstanding, as is the orchestra, the male soloist is underwhelming and lacks gravitas and the overall pace is much too fast, which is the conductor's fault.

[@camilmoujaber4813]

Start at snail pace, way too slow. Thumbs down.

[@RobinBeaumont]

Brahms original metronome markings are even slower - people just ignore then nowadays - yet early records adhered to them!

[@richardlamborn4186]

@@RobinBeaumont Thanks. It did strike me as slow at the beginning. Sounds like Brahms wanted that way.

[@cawag98]

It could be that they are young. Death is something distant, dark, muddled and theoretical. Also, they are conservatory students. Bravo, though. If this were perfect for them, what else in music would they need to aspire to?

[@mariawilliams4695]

Remarks like this astound me. The music shines through every interpretation. I can only feel sorry for those musical ‘education’ leads them to judgemental comments

[@wookinooki9023]

that screaming at the beginning was so vulgar. this is not a football game. The frat culture is taking over, even in classical music. I just totally lost interest in classical music. After 40 years. I've sung the GR 15 times in 25 years.