Johannes Brahms’ mother died in February 1865, a loss that caused him much grief and may well have inspired the Requiem in her memory. Also, Brahms’ lingering feelings over Robert Schumann’s death in July 1856 may also have been a motivation, though his reticence about such matters makes this uncertain.
His original conception was for a work of six movements; according to their eventual places in the final version, these were movements 1–4 and 6–7.
The first performance of the six movements premiered in the Bremen Cathedral on Good Friday, 10 April 1868, with Brahms conducting and Julius Stockhausenas the baritone soloist. The performance was a great success and marked a turning point in Brahms’ career.
Please listen to this amazing work as conducted by Claudio Abbado, and enjoy it…
