A German Requiem

„The Requiem has affected me more deeply than any other sacred work. I have not felt such joy for a long while.“ Clara Schumann wrote this in her diary after hearing the premiere of Johannes Brahms' A German Requiem, which has ever since been considered one of the cornerstones of 19th-century sacred music. The Requiem marked a turning point in Brahms' career and is unusual in many ways. Brahms selected texts from the Bible himself rather than using the conventional requiem text. His tender and healing tone is utterly unlike the usual approach to concert requiems. The music is a spellbinding mélange of old and new currents, and influences from Baroque masters Bach and Händel give the work additional depth.

Complementing the Requiem is a captivating but seldom-heard work from Olivier Messiaen, written in 1930, when he in his early twenties. Les Offrandes oubliées (The Forgotten Offering) is a profound meditation on God's love for man, one of many deeply religious works drawn from Messiaen's Catholic faith. 

On the podium is Bertrand de Billy, Principal Guest Conductor of the ISO and former Chief Conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, who appears frequently in most of the world's leading opera houses.

Compelling sacred music in magnificent orchestrations featuring soloists and choirs.

The concert is without intermission.