Brahms Requiem: A Subjective Interpretation (Movement Seven)

Words:

Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben, von nun an. Ja der Geist spricht, daß sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit; denn ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach.

Translation:

Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth. Yea, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them

To some, the Seventh Movement may feel slightly anti-climatic, following the high notes hit in Movement Six. Why didn't Requeim end on the final C major chord played in the Sixth Movement? Well, to do so - in my opinion - would not close the loop. Like all grand narratives, a closure is necessary - and such closures are usually linked back to the beginning. Movement Seven is one such example.

Performed in F major - which is also the dominant chord of Movement One - the seventh movement is a work of self-reflectivity as the key themes of life and death, in which Requeim opens with, are brought to mind. Both the sopranos and tenors play key roles in this final episode in articulating the soulful words "Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben, von nun an" (Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth) while the altos and basses in turn sing the challenging words of "Ja der Geist spricht" (Yea, says the Spirit).

The piece concludes in a final pianissimo with the hallowed words of "Selig"...thus ending with the very same words that the journey of Requiem starts with.

A truly moving work.