| 40621 | GERMAN REQUIEM, OP. 45: How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place |
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| Brahms, Johannes (Arr. Doan, Gerald) |  Score
 mp3 audio
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| Category: String Orchestra |
| Grade: Difficult |
| Duration: 5:00 |
| Instrumentation: str=8.8.5.5.5 |
| Description: Brahms wrote the 'German Requiem' in 1868. In its entirety it remains standard fare for choral-orchestral performers. The movement extracted here - 'Wie lieblich sind dene Wohnungen' ('How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place') - is often excerpted for stand-alone choral performances. It epitomizes Brahms' individuality with strong emotional appeal. The soaring lines offer memorable melodies with or without the text. This challenging arrangement combines orchestral and choral lines into a thick strings-only fabric; yet it remains true to Brahms' original score. Essential wind and vocal parts are intertwinded through divisi writing so that no original material is ignored. The principle challenges in this work lie in typical romantic chromaticism, extreme range, and sustained legato lines. Each section of the string orchestra needs command of multiple positions, changing finger patterns, and smooth bow control. Occasional switches to on-the-string staccato eighths or pizzicato should be exaggerated for contrast to the long legato phrases. |