Shostakovich Centennial Autumn Pauses For Performance of Alfred Schnittke's Poignant Requiem Mass

Alfred Schnittke's Requiem Mass, of 1975 [the year of Dmitri Shostakovich's death], will be performed in Washington, D.C., this Saturday evening by the Cantate Chamber Singers, under Gisèle Becker. The evening also includes music of J.S. Bach. For those needing them, discounted tickets to the performance are available now at Ticketplace, a project of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington, D.C.

An excellent on-line analysis of this major Schnittke work, by Prof. Heinz-Albert Heindrichs, is available at Schnittke's German Web-site (in German, and computer-generated English translation).

Adapted Text to European Composer Alfred Schnittke's Requiem Mass, of 1975.

1. Requiem
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem; exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis caro veniet. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine.

2. Kyrie
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison!

3. Dies Irae
Dies irae, dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla, teste David cum Sybilla. Quantus tremor est futurus, quando judex est venturus, cuncta stricte discussurus!

4. Tuba Mirum
Tuba mirum spargens sonum, per sepulchra regionum, coget omnes ante thronum. Mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura, judicanti responsura. Liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur, unde mundus judicetur. Judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet apparebit, nil inultum remanebit. Quid sum mister tunc dicturus, quem patronum rogaturus, cum vix justus sit securus?

5. Rex Tremendae
Rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis, salva me, fons pietatis!

6. Recordare
Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae, ne me perdas illa die. Quaerens me sedisti lassus, redemisti crucem passus; tantus labor non sit cassus.

7. Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla judicandus homo reus. Huic ergo parce, Deus, pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem! Amen!

8. Domine Jesu
Domine Jesu Christe, rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu. Libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadent in obscurum: sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam, quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini eius.

9. Hostias
Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus. Tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus, fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam.

10. Sanctus
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Osanna in excelsis!

11. Benedictus
Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini.

12. Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam.

13. Credo
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilum. Credo in unum, Dominum, Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri, qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis. Osanna!

14. Requiem
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion, et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem; exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnius caro veniet. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine.















Alfred Schnittke's gravestone.

Photo credit: (c) Alex Ross. All rights reserved. Via The Rest Is Noise. With thanks.