Brahms / Schumann: Ein Menschliches Requiem Bart van Reyn & Vlaams Radiokoor

• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Kinderszenen, Op. 15:
• 1 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: IV. Ein bittendes Kind 01:03
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45:
• 2 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: I. Selig sind, die da Leid Tragen 09:58
• Robert Schumann:
• 3 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: VIII. Am Kamin 01:01
• Johannes Brahms:
• 4 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: II. Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras 12:50
• Robert Schumann:
• 5 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: XII. Kind im Einschlummern 02:12
• Johannes Brahms:
• 6 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: III. Herr, lehre doch mich 08:46
• Robert Schumann:
• 7 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: XIII. Der Dichter spricht 02:23
• Johannes Brahms:
• 8 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: IV. Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen 04:48
• Robert Schumann:
• 9 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: X. Fast zu ernst 01:57
• Johannes Brahms:
• 10 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: V. Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit 06:52
• Robert Schumann:
• 11 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: I. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen 01:52
• Johannes Brahms:
• 12 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: VI. Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt 09:38
• Robert Schumann:
• 13 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15: VII. Träumerei 02:57
• Johannes Brahms:
• 14 Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45: VII. Selig sind die Toten 10:13
• Total Runtime 01:16:30

Info for Brahms / Schumann: Ein Menschliches Requiem

Johannes Brahms is an icon. Say Johannes, and you know you are talking about Brahms. The successor to Beethoven, the sober man who valued seriousness, the champion of classical traditions, a close friend of the Schumanns. But how well do we really know Brahms? How close does he let us get to him in his music? In his Requiem we go in search of the human Brahms and in the music of his mentor and good friend Robert Schumann.

Come, come a bit closer: there he is, sitting in his study. Look over his shoulder – what is he working on so intensely? Why that sorrowful glance in his youthful eyes? First his mother, then his good friend and mentor Robert Schumann, two people very dear to him were no more...

Johannes Brahms is an icon. When you say Johannes, you know it refers to Brahms. The successor to Beethoven, the sober man who took seriousness very seriously, the chief protagonist of the classical tradition, an intimate friend of the Schumanns.

But how well do we really know Brahms? How close does he let us come to him through his music? In search of the man who was Brahms, through his Requiem and the music of his good friend Robert Schumann.

The death of his mother and his mentor Schumann, two people so close to him marked Brahms – but it also led to the creation of one of his finest works.

Bent over his writing desk, full of sorrow over his loss, Brahms wanted to write music that would nevertheless offer some support: hope for those near him, comfort for the living – and not with a sombre funeral march. Initially, he gave his composition the title Ein menschliches Requiem (A Human Requiem). The monumental composition for orchestra and choir that would become Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) lies far from that intimate beginning. But Brahms did not forget his initial plan: he even transcribed a version for piano 4 hands, soloists and choir: transparent, intimate, colourful and, most importantly, very personal.

In search of the man who was Brahms, we weave some childhood memories of his good friend Schumann in between the movements of the Requiem. In his Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), Schumann in turn combined various short works that were close to his heart and through which he thought back, filled with nostalgia, to his own childhood.

Jan Michiels, piano
Inge Spinette, piano
Lore Binon, soprano
Sarah Wegener, soprano
Thomas Oliemans, baritone
Vlaams Radiokoor
Bart van Reyn, conductor

Bart van Reyn
one of Belgium’s leading conductors of the new generation, enjoys a wide repertoire from baroque to contemporary music with an eye on the historical performance practice.

Bart has worked with the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the Brussels Philharmonic, B’Rock, Il Gardellino, Brandenburger Symphoniker, the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. As from this season, he will be permanent guest conductor with Anima Eterna Bruges.

He has been Chief Conductor of the Danish Radio Choir since 2016, and in 2019 he was also appointed Musical Director of the Flemish Radio Choir.

He is also a regular guest conductor with many top-ranking vocal ensembles, such as the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Cappella Amsterdam, the Netherlands Radio Choir, the MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, the NDR Chor Hamburg, the Rundfunkchor Berlin, Collegium Vocale Gent, Netherlands Bach Society and the BBC Singers. He has worked with composers Steve Reich, Tan Dun, James MacMillan en Kaija Saariaho.

Vlaams Radiokoor
Flemish Radio Chorus; = VRK) is a professional chamber choir whose programme includes works from the entire repertoire, with a special emphasis on Flemish and contemporary music. Every season, the choir also commissions works from a number of Flemish composers. Starting in the 2005-2006 season, the Vlaams Radio Koor will be rehoused in the Flagey building.

The VRK was established in 1937 by the Belgian national broadcasting corporation, the INR/NIR. Since 1998, when the VRK was privatised, it has evolved from a studio ensemble into a concert ensemble. The 24 professional singers are led by chief conductor Johan Duijck. Leading international conductors also frequent the VRK: well-known guest conductors such as Kaspars Putnins, Bo Holten, Laszlo Heltay, Paul Hillier and Hervé Niquet enjoy working with the choir.

The VRK performs throughout Flanders. As well as its own ongoing performance cycles in Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and Leuven, the choir works in close partnership with the Hasselt Cultural Centre, De Maalbeek Cultural Centre in Brussels,’t Getouw Cultural Centre for the Abbey Concerts series, Leuven Cultural Centre and Flagey. A number of ensembles regularly invite the VRK to work with them on their productions, including the Vlaams Radio Orkest, the Beethoven Academie, deFilharmonie, the Belgian National Orchestra and the Flemish Opera.

The VRK has also maintained its unique status as a radio choir. Its close ties with public broadcasting result in numerous studio productions and involvement in events on radio and television. Moreover, virtually all its concert productions are recorded by Klara, the Flemish classical music channel, enabling the choir to build up a unique collection of recordings, including work by Flemish composers.

Since the 2004-2005 season, the VRK has been forming a CD collection with the Glossa label based on the great chamber choir repertoire. With BMG Music Publishing, it is working on the worldwide commercial development of its score collection, while Klara remains its partner for exploring Flemish music. Thus there are plans to record a series of monographs on Flemish composers. The CD ‘A tribute to Vic Nees’ from the In Flanders Fields collection (Phaedra CD) received the Caecilia Prize in 2003 for the best Belgian music production in 2003.

The Vlaams Radio Koor is supported by the Flemish Community, the Belgian National Lottery, the province of Vlaams-Brabant and the city of Leuven.

Booklet for Brahms / Schumann: Ein Menschliches Requiem