Requiem (Schumann)

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Requiem Op. 148 is a nine movement work by Robert Schumann for choir and orchestra. The work was originally composed in 1852 and published in 1865, eight years after the composer's death. The work runs approximately 33 minutes. [1]

Contents

Requiem
by Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann.jpg
KeyD Flat Major
Opus 142
Period Romantic
Genre Requiem
LanguageLatin
Composed1852 (1852)
Duration33 minutes
Movements9
ScoringChoir & Orchestra
Premiere
Date1865 (1865)

Motivation for Composition

Started in 1852, Schumann's requiem was one of the last works the composer would successfully complete. Critics point to the work as evidence of Schumann's failing creativity and mental state. [2]

Absent any known commission, substantial questions have been raised about Schumann's motivation for writing a requiem which represented a significant departure from the composer's previous style, in which he remained mostly secular. While Schumann was contractually obligated to perform in cathedrals several times per year after his move 1850 to Düsseldorf, documentation is not conclusive on the composer's religious background. [3]

During Schumann's stay in an asylum for a suicide attempt, his requiem was one of few that he continued to compose. The original manuscript indicates that it was heavily revised, demonstrating Schumann's poor state of mind. It is speculated that Schumann, like Mozart, was writing his own mass. [4] [5]

Structure

The work consists of nine movements: [6]

  1. Requiem
  2. Te decet
  3. Dies irae
  4. Liber scriptus
  5. Qui Mariam absolvisti
  6. Domine Jesu Christe
  7. Hostias et preces tibi
  8. Sanctus
  9. Benedictus

Notable Recordings

Related Research Articles

References

  1. "Requiem, Op.148 (Schumann, Robert) - IMSLP". imslp.org. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  2. Clements, Andrew (2011-05-26). "Schumann: Requiem; Der Königssohn; Nachtlied – review". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  3. Wermager, Sonja. "Robert Schumann and "the Artist's Highest Goal": Religion, Romanticism, and Nation in the Late Choral Works". Columbia University. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  4. "Requiem, for chorus & orchestra, Op. 148 | Det..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  5. "Robert Schumann Requiem, Opus 148". repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  6. Robert Schumann (2007). Karel Torvik (ed.). "Requiem, Op.148". memory.loc.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-13.