Britten - War Requiem - Agnus Dei

Playlist of all four parts of War Requiem:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F167C2698B651BDF


The War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten in 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts are pasted, collage-like, settings of Wilfred Owen poems. The work is scored for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chorus, boys' choir, organ, and two orchestras (a full orchestra and a chamber orchestra).

The War Requiem was commissioned for the reconsecration of Coventry Cathedral on May 30, 1962 after the original fourteenth century structure was destroyed in a World War II bombing raid on the night of November 14, 1940. As a pacifist, Britten was inspired by the commission, which gave him complete freedom in choosing the type of music he would like to compose. He conceived of setting the traditional Latin Mass for the Dead interwoven with nine poems about war by the English poet Wilfred Owen. Owen, who was born in 1893, was serving as the commander of a rifle company when he was killed in action on 4 November 1918 during the crossing of the Sambre-Oise Canal in France, just one week before the Armistice. Although he was virtually unknown at the time of his death, he has subsequently come to be revered as one of the great war poets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Requiem


Agnus Dei:

Agnus Dei (chorus) interspersed with "One ever hangs" (chorus; tenor solo)



One ever hangs where shelled roads part.
In this war He too lost a limb,
But His disciples hide apart;
And now the Soldiers bear with Him.

Near Golgatha strolls many a priest,
And in their faces there is pride
That they were flesh-marked by the Beast
By whom the gentle Christ's denied.

The scribes on all the people shove
and bawl allegiance to the state,
But they who love the greater love
Lay down their life; they do not hate.

Wilfred Owen




Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem.


Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
grant them rest.


Peter Pears (tenor)
The Bach Choir
London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Benjamin Britten cond.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Classical
• war
• requiem
• Benjamin
• Britten
• Wilfred
• Owen
• Peter
• Pears

[tolitz11]

thanks you ma'am karen for posting this magnum opus, and also, for the video presentation, nice selection of photos.

this segment is so touching, and you will feel the emotion inside the agnus dei

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thank you! I chose what I thought were the most moving sections of this work to present.

[riago7]

So touching.

[FiDiTanzer528]

So nice to hear from you, L. :)

[GrvYrdTrn]

Those youthful faces, the rows of white crosses... These images stun me with each viewing. You have perfected a tribute to a generation lost--to all generations lost to the inevitability of war.

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thank you dear friend. I tried my best to do it justice. I hope you will find the rest in this series interesting as well. :)

[heatherelizabeth1]

Beautiful presentation of a beautiful piece of music and a troubling poem, Wilfred Owen was one of the greatest War Poets huh? I lost two of my great uncles in the First World War, they went out like lambs to the slaughter. And we said it would never happen again. Thank you.

[vicgarcia30]

canibal corpse is much better

[rjr1967]

An unusually masterful combination of images and music. Even the transitions from one image to the next match the music perfectly. Well done.

[moonbison]

anyone know if the kyrie is online and where?

[elephantbarbiegirl]

That must have been a wonderful experience

[comprehensiveboy]

Dona eis requiem.

[athb4hu]

Hey thanks,

I sang in this in Coventry Cathedral, the original venue (just in the choir) in the late seventies, can't remember exactly when. Two of the original artists also took part - Pears and Vishnyevshkaya. I love this piece, thanks for posting.

AB

[HamerD]

the dona nobis pacem ending is unbelievably touching!  What a piece of music

[rjr1967]

For me it's almost too much - I feel like someone is hitting me with a mallet until I feel compassion for the dead. I mean - music AND pictures? Nevertheless, with such moving (kleenex) music there's nothing else to do. Thank you for this recording, it's beautiful.

[ANTOONMAKA]

But hey who love! Amen!