Unity and continuity in Brahms's German requiem

Abstract

Brahms's German Requiem is frequently performed and often written about, reflecting both the universality of its message of comfort to those who suffer, and the complexity of the means by which this message is conveyed. Although titled Ein Deutsches Requiem the work does not conform to the standard form of a requiem, indeed the genre remains ambiguous, with various possibilities - including oratorio, cantata, choral symphony and German Requiem - having been offered by different critics. In fact the German Requiem combines elements of all these genres to create a unique amalgamation. Often classed as a conservative adherer to tradition, and indeed derided as such by Wagnerites such as George Bernard Shaw, Brahms demonstrates in the German Requiem that, paradoxically, innovation may also be achieved through the reinterpretation of tradition: The German Requiem thus blends not only the elements of various traditional genres, but also aspects of the musical language of composers such as Schütz and Bach - the composition of the Requiem coinciding with Brahms's most intensive period of investigation into early music. The result is a work which, whilst having a strong sense of continuity with tradition, is also wholly original. Perhaps the closest antecedents of the German Requiem are two Romantic German oratorios, by F.W. Markull and Hermann Küster, whose significance for the German Requiem has been noted but until now not investigated in any depth. However even these works reveal not only striking similarities but also fundamental differences in aspects of both text and music, which reinforce the originality of Brahms's conception, which was in turn to influence future composers. If the German Requiem has a sense of continuity within the choral tradition, then it also has a sense of continuity within Brahms's own creative life. The period from the composition of the first material for the work (1854) to its completion (1869) was crucial in Brahms's development as a composer, and both the music and the text contain a synthesis of previous ideas which provided a foundation for Brahms's subsequent works. Indeed the German Requiem was pivotal in Brahms's career, making his name as a composer and giving him the courage to answer the challenge posed by Beethoven in the areas of string quartet and symphony. If the period of composition was a protracted one, this is not reflected in any lack of unity in the music itself - to the contrary, recurring themes (both textual and musical), give the work an overwhelming unity which is reinforced by tonalities, orchestration, tempo and form. The German Requiem is therefore a work which, whilst possibly originating in a profound sense of sorrow experienced by Brahms at the losses of Robert Schumann or his mother, has the universality of a truly great work of art, more than justifying its continued popularity, and exploration by critics.