Schumann Requiem- Brahms Liebeslieder Walzer

Saturday 7:30pm

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Description

Andover Choral Society presents contrasting works by two giants of German 19th-century music: Schumann’s rarely-performed late work, the Requiem, and the unashamedly exuberant Liebeslieder-Walzer (Love song waltzes) by Brahms.

Unusually, Schumann wrote very little sacred choral music. His Requiem is his final opus number; he famously said that "to turn one’s strength to sacred music certainly remains the highest goal of the artist... with increasing age we strive for higher things."

Schumann is known to have suffered intense despair, bordering on mental breakdown, at the deaths of his loved ones. He lost his infant son Ludwig and his friend Felix Mendelssohn in the same year, five years before the Requiem’s composition. The intensely heartfelt and beautiful movements such as the Requiem aeternam and the Benedictus betray something of this depth of feeling. We also hear another side to Schumann in the rousing Te decet hymnus and Liber scriptus, as well as a serenely beautiful Qui Mariam and the darkly dramatic Dies irae.

By complete contrast, Brahms’ Liebeslieder-Walzer are a collection of love poems set to music for four voices and piano duet. They provide an interesting pairing for the Schumann as there is a good deal of speculation that they may have been inspired by Brahms’ frustrated love for Schumann’s wife, Clara.

Joined by four first-rate soloists and the choir’s rehearsal pianist Julie Aherne, this promises to be a moving yet uplifting evening exploring both light and dark sides of the choral repertoire.

PLEASE NOTE THIS CONCERT IS AT ST MARYS CHURCH ANDOVER

Event Details

Address:St Mary’s Church
Andover

Postcode:SP10 1DP

Date

Saturday 7:30pm