ᴡᴀʀ ʀᴇǫᴜɪᴇᴍ (1963) - ʙᴇɴᴊᴀᴍɪɴ ʙʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ

                84 - 86

1958 - commissioned to compose for dedication

ceremony of new Coventry Cathedral built to 

replace old one destroyed by German Air Force

in WWII

deeply opposed to war, fled England as objector

Mass - set of texts used for Roman Catholic

worship service

Requiem - mass for dead

"Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine"

"Give them eternal rest, O Lord"

tropes - vernacular language, comments on Latin

text poetically, banned by Catholic church

chose 9 poems of Wilfred Owen, WWI soldier,

killed week before end of war at 25

dedicate to 4 friends lot in WWII

Latin liturgical text - soprano soloist, mixed chorus,

boys' choir, organ, full orchestra

Owen texts - tenor soloist (Allied), baritone (German),

chamber orchestra

6  movements of Requiem mass:

Requiem aeternam - grant them eternal rest

dies irae - day of wrath

offertorium - offertory

sanctus - holy

agnus dei - lamb of god

libera me - deliver me

use owen's poetry to comment on latin text

chorus of boys and church organ sing separatedly

bell chimes (churchly), tritone (diabolus in musica)

commission specify horrors of war balanced with rebirth

German singer - Dietrich Fischer-Diskau (baritone)

English singer - Peter Pears (Britten's partner, tenor)

sing separately for 20 minutes

together in section with owen's poem "The Next War"

end, sing "Let us sleep now"

chorus and soprano plead for heaven and rest

one more dissonant chimes, arrive in F major 
for final "amen"

85  minute work

1st cd example - opening of requiem

2nd example - 20 min later, 2nd movement, dies irae

2nd section - 7 min further in, short recap of 2nd mvt

unusual technique for religious music

boys chorus and organ in one speed, mixed chorus and 
orchestra in another

opening of sanctus, soprano sings melismatic (many
pitches per syllable), pitched percussion repeat F# quarters

soprano has specific rhythm, no time signature, series of 11
F#s to coordinate with

again on C (tritone with F), choir chant freely on specific pitches