A German Requiem - no.2 ‘Denn alles Fleisch’
Johannes Brahms meticulously crafted his "A German Requiem" over several years, revealing its evolution from a three-movement piece in 1867 to a seven-movement work in 1869. Unlike a commissioned work, Brahms undertook this project as a personal endeavor to convey his innermost sentiments. The composition defies conventional requiem structures, a testament to Brahms' innovative approach.
In a letter to Carl Martin Reinthaler in 1867, Brahms mused about omitting "German" from the title, opting for "Human" instead. The reason he did not, however, is likely that Brahms makes it clear that this is one of many possible ways to remember the dead: where a Latin requiem could be expected to follow the rules of its tradition, a German requiem involves personal choice. The text of the Requiem is drawn from the Bible, weaving together passages from the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament. This compilation forms a unique literary creation, imbued with novel meanings and interpretations.
Translation:
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away. — I Peter 1:24
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient. - James 5:7–8
But the word of the Lord endures forever. — I Peter 1:25
And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. — Isaiah 35:1