Britten - War Requiem - Libera me Pt 1-3

Pt 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O06a7sspY3c


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.


Libera me:

Libera me (soprano solo and chorus)
Strange Meeting ("It seems that out of battle I escaped") (tenor and baritone soli)
In paradisum (All)
Conclusion -Requiem Aeternam and Requiescat in Pace (Organ, Boys` choir and Mixed Chorus)

Part 1:

Chorus:
Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna,
in die illa tremenda:
Quando coeli movendi sunt et terra:
Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem


Chorus:
Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death
in that awful day
when the heavens and earth shall be shaken
when Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire.


Soprano and Chorus:
Tremens factus sum ego, et timeo
dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira.
Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna.
Quando coeli movendi sunt i terra.
Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis
et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde.
Libera me, Domine.


Soprano and Chorus:
I am seized with fear and trembling,
until the trial shall be at hand and the wrath to come.
Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death.
When the heavens and earth shall be shaken.
That day, that day of wrath, of calamity
and misery, a great day and exceeding bitter.
Deliver me, O Lord.


Galina Vishnevskaya (soprano)
The Bach Choir
London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Benjamin Britten cond.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Classical
• war
• requiem
• libera
• me
• Benjamin
• Britten
• Vishnevskaya

[KatherineHelen69]

I was a student of Literature and History in college when this work was first recorded. I sang in a concert choir that did major works and was completely swept away by this epic piece. The layers of meaning and the complexity of mutually supporting musical and literary images was/is astounding. I sometimes think it was the last great work coming from the world of writers like Eliot and Pound. You did good. Perfect visuals. No '68 mentality and anti Vietnam crap. Precise and fine. Bravo.

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thank you. I hope I did some justice to this great work. A labor of love!

[tolitz11]

again, you create a "magnum opus" here

the images are disturbing, sad, and stricking

i hope that you can make other videos for other segments

to complete the entire war requiem, because you really made a marvelous job.

thank you karen

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thanks again! This was a labor of love but emotionally draining to complete. I'm not sure about doing the entire requiem though.

[imusiciki]

The cries of Libera me filled with thunderous energy along with the terror images of the war just makes this one powerful experience. Excellent video.

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thank you so much. This movement always gives me a chill, especially at that climactic chord.

[peacholympia]

I have heard this piece countless times, and yet every time I hear it, I am stunned. What an experience. Thanks so much for the upload, with the pictures- they are a wonderful visual complement to Britten's eternally evocative music.

[123must]

A lot of thanks. This a true mastepiece. Benjamin Britten is an outstanding conductor!

Thank you again

[elicandondo]

you did a very good work !!!!!!!!!!!!

[claree2]

Its beautiful, but it still scares the crap out of me.

[r51collins]

@KatherineHelen69 Pound, fascist sympathiser, Eliot at best conservative right winger. By the way I demonstrated against the Vietnam war in '68. Regardless this is truly wonderful.

[dragmio]

@KatherineHelen69 You sure do express Neanderthal mentality and no brain crap...

[unclefungus13]

I enjoyed the depth of the work set against a collage that did not point fingers.

You have opened a door of understanding for me. Thank You for your labor.

[MsRickNet]

tnx for posting this song!

[luseem16]

Very moving indeed. Almost overwhelmingly so.

[jessiiiLouiseClark]

thanks for uploading this :) gotta do it for A-levels XD this is coming in usefull for translations as well cheers!