ConcertPulse
Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem / Raphaël Pichon
Elbphilharmonie, Großer Saal (Hamburg)
»I have now found solace.« With these words, Johannes Brahms put the core of his monumental »German Requiem« in a nutshell: the deceased do not take centre stage as usual, but the bereaved. They are to find solace through the moving music and can cope with their grief. Brahms knew how to utilise choir and orchestra extremely effectively and created both deeply sad and devastating moments as well as comforting ones: in this way, life and death manifest in all their aspects. With French conductor Raphaël Pichon, a proficient expert and avowed fan of German repertoire now brings Brahms’ Requiem to the Elbphilharmonie. The ensemble Pygmalion, formed by him, assist him once more. This ensemble is well versed in period performance and its concerts are captivating due to their particular transparency and intimacy. Soprano Sabine Devieilhe and baritone Stéphane Degout also perform the solo parts. And Pichon also draws attention to Brahms’ musical roots: this way, we hear early baroque a-cappella music before the »German Requiem« – a tradition with which Brahms had also intensively grappled.
