Dies irae
Dies irae ( Latin for "day of wrath", often in the Middle Latin form Dies ire ) is the beginning of a medieval hymn about the Last Judgment . From the 14th century to 1970 it was sung in the Roman rite as a sequence of the funeral mass and is now only part of the Requiem in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite; in addition, he can " ad libitum " in the Divine Office of the Roman Rite on All Souls and in the last week of the church yearbe used. The text was confirmed by the Council of Trent (1545–1563) as an integral part of the Requiem. The traditional author is Thomas von Celano , a friend and biographer of St. Francis of Assisi ; however, this attribution is controversial.
The hymn
The Dies irae , sometimes simply as dead sequence referred to, has an alternate , accentuating trochäisches meter on. The hymn initially consists of 17 three-line stanzas and is ended by three two-line stanzas. All verses of a stanza rhyme at the end. The content of the hymn is based on a scripture from the prophet Zefaniah . It is a radical break with the ancient hymn poetry, among other things through the use of end rhymes and accentuating stress (rhythm) instead of the older metrical meters, which were based on syllable length and shortness. Its melody was sung loudly in older settings.
Settings
The Dies irae was first set to music in the 13th century as a sequence - a late form of Gregorian chant - and in this form became part of the Requiem.
In later compositions of the funeral mass, the Dies irae is mostly divided into the parts Dies irae , Tuba mirum , Liber scriptus , Rex tremendae , Recordare , Ingemisco , Confutatis and Lacrimosa .
The composers often proceed quite freely with the arrangement of the movements, and the text of the medieval hymn is not always used. Most of the time the dies-irae sentence has enormous dimensions. In his Requiem, for example, Hector Berlioz uses 16 timpani and four brass choirs, which vividly represent the Tuba mirum (trombone, sounding miraculously through the tomb-vaulted halls). Berlioz took over sections of the old melody in the Symphonie fantastique , while his Dies irae in the Grande Messe des Morts does without the hymn.
The Gregorian Dies-irae motif is also quoted more frequently in musical works when reference is made to God's judgment or simply to death. These include very secular compositions. For example, Jerry Goldsmith quotes the motif in his score for Gremlins 2 - The Return of the Little Monsters . The Dies irae was also used in the opening credits of the horror film The Shining by Stanley Kubrick . Kubrick used an interpretation by Wendy Carlos here .
Ingmar Bergman also used the Dies irae for a sequence of his medieval mystery play The Seventh Seal , here it accompanies the appearance of a martyrs' procession.
Examples of settings
Quotes from the Gregorian hymn in classical music
- Hendrik Andriessen : Libertas venit , Rhapsody for orchestra (1954)
- Hector Berlioz : Parody of Dies Irae in “Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat” (Witches' Sabbath), 5th movement of the Symphonie fantastique op. 14 (1830)
- Lili Boulanger : multiple quotations from Dies Irae in “Pour les funérailles d'un Soldat” for four-part mixed choir, baritone solo and orchestra / piano (1912)
- Dirk Brossé : Oscar for Amnesty, Tone Poem for Symphonic Band (1987)
- George Chadwick : Tam O'Shanter , symphonic ballad (1915)
- Aram Chatschaturjan : 2nd symphony , 3rd movement
- Frédéric Chopin : Raindrop Prelude
- Johann Nepomuk David : It is a reaper, is called death (Dies Irae) , Choralwerk X. Booklet (1947)
- Paul Giger : Chartes for violin solo
- Alexander Glasunow : Suite for orchestra from the Middle Ages op.79, 2nd movement (Scherzo)
- Hershy Kay: "Entrance of Magicians" from Cakewalk (ballet on themes by Louis Moreau Gottschalk , 1951)
- Edward Gregson : 2nd movement ( Chorale and Variations ) in Partita for brass band (1971)
- Jürg Hanselmann : "Dies Irae", Variations for two pianos and orchestra (2005)
- Joseph Haydn : Adagio - Introduction of the 1st movement in Symphony No. 103
- Bertold Hummel : Jazz parody of Dies Irae in the 4th movement "Hexensabbat" of the "Faustszenen" for wind and percussion ensemble op. 72 (1979/85)
- Franz Liszt : Dance of Death . Paraphrase on Dies irae , symphonic poem for piano and orchestra (1849)
- Horst Lohse : Dies Irae quotes in the Hieronymus Bosch cycle, part 2: The four last things (Quasi una Sinfonia da Requiem) (1996/97) for organ and large orchestra, and part 3: Cave cave Dominus videt (2011/12 ) for voice and organ (text: Michael Herrschel)
- Gustav Mahler : Symphony No. 2 in C minor (Resurrection Symphony ) (1887–1894, rev. 1903)
- Bohuslav Martinů : Památník Lidicím (memorial for Lidice) (1943), melodic quotation in the clarinets and bassoons, bars 2-4
- Nikolai Mjaskowski : 6th Symphony (1921–1923 / rev. 1947–1948), 4th movement (next to the revolutionary song Ah! Ça ira )
- Arvo Pärt : Miserere (1989, using a Dies-irae composition draft from 1976)
- Krzysztof Penderecki : Dies Irae - Oratorio in memory of the victims of Auschwitz (1967)
- Gabriel Pierné : L'an mil - Symphonic poem for orchestra and choir (1897), 1st movement
-
Sergei Rachmaninov :
- Prelude in C sharp minor op.3 No. 2 (1882)
- Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13 (1896)
- Die Toteninsel , symphonic poem op.29 (1909)
- Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini op.43 for piano and orchestra (1934)
- 3rd movement from Symphonic Dances op.45 (1940)
- Ottorino Respighi : "Butantan" from the cycle Impressioni brasiliane for orchestra (1927)
-
Camille Saint-Saëns :
- Danse macabre , symphonic poem op.40 (1875)
- 3rd Symphony in C minor (Organ Symphony) op.78 (1886)
-
Dmitri Shostakovich :
- “Requiem” movement from the suite to the film music by Hamlet op. 32a (1932)
- 14th Symphony for Soprano, Bass and Chamber Orchestra op.135 (1969)
- Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji : Sequentia cyclica super Dies Irae , for piano (1948–1949)
-
Pyotr Tchaikovsky :
- No. 4 (Funeral March) from 6 pieces on a theme op.21 (1873)
- a variation in the 4th movement of Suite No. 3 for orchestra in G major op.55 (1884)
- Eugène Ysaÿe : Sonata No. 2 Obsession for solo violin op.27,2 (1924)
- Kurt Weill : 1st movement (Andante con moto) of the Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra op.12 (1924)
- Mieczysław Weinberg : 2nd movement (Allegro molto) from Symphony No. 17, Op. 137 (1982–1984)
-
Bernd Alois Zimmermann :
- 2nd movement (Fantasia) of the concerto for violin and large orchestra (1950)
- Prelude ( Preludio ) the opera Die Soldaten (1965)
Well-known dies-irae sentences in Requiem compositions
- Hector Berlioz : Grande messe des morts, op.5 (1837)
- Heinrich Biber : Requiem in A major 15 (1687?)
- Benjamin Britten : War Requiem (1962)
- Alfred Bruneau : Requiem (1884-1888)
- Luigi Cherubini : Requiem
- Antonín Dvořák : Requiem op.89 (1890)
- Asger Hamerik : Requiem op.34 (1886/1887)
- Hans Werner Henze : Requiem
- Karl Jenkins : Requiem (2005)
- Zoltán Kodály : Dies irae
- Cyrillus Kreek : Requiem in C minor, "Dies Irae" (1927)
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Requiem in D minor KV 626 (1791)
- Ildebrando Pizzetti : Assassinio nella cattedrale , opera (Premiere: March 1, 1958 in the Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
- Zbigniew Preisner : Requiem dla mojego przyjaciela
- Max Reger : Latin Requiem (fragment, 1914)
- Camille Saint-Saëns : Requiem op.54 (1878)
- Antonio Salieri : "Small" Requiem in C minor (1804)
- Franz von Suppé : Requiem (1855)
- Giuseppe Verdi : Messa da Requiem (1874)
Quotes in the score
- Wendy Carlos : Main Title ( Shining , 1980)
- Danny Elfman : Nightmare before Christmas
- Fried, Gerald: The Return of Dracula (Album: The Return of Dracula, I Bury the Living, The Cabinet of Caligari, Mark of the Vampire , Film Score Monthly 2004)
-
Jerry Goldsmith :
- Mephisto Waltz (Album: Mephisto Waltz )
- Gremlins 2 - The Return of the Little Monsters (Album: Gremlins II )
- Lionheart (Album: Lionheart )
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action (Album: Looney Tunes - Back in Action )
- Gottfried Huppertz : Metropolis (silent film music, DVD: Metropolis , Ufa / Transit)
- Alan Menken : The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney Records)
- Ennio Morricone : Dies Irae Psichedelico (Album: Ennio Morricone - Escalation OST )
-
Howard Shore
- Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe (Album: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring , Reprise)
- The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Album: The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King , recap)
- Dimitri Tiomkin : Isn't life beautiful?
- John Williams : Burning Homestead (Album: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope )
-
Hans Zimmer
- King of Pride Rock (Album: The Lion King )
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Modern settings of the text
- Abigor : Kingdom of Darkness (Album: Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age , Black Metal)
- ASP : Requiem (Album: Requiembryo 2007)
- Clint Bajakian , Peter McConnel, Michael Z. Land: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (game music)
- Beyond the Black : Dies Irae (Album: Lost In Forever, 2016, Symphonic Metal )
- Bathory : Dies Irae (Album: Blood Fire Death , Black Metal)
- Dark Moor (Album: The Gates of Oblivion, 2002, Power Metal)
- Dissection : Starless Aeon (Album: Reinkaos , 2006, Melodic Death Metal)
- Hans-Ola Ericsson : Dies irae for solos (TTBarBKontraB) and 12-part choir, 1975
- Epica : Dies Irae (Album: The Classical Conspiracy , 2009, Symphonic Metal)
- Evanescence : Lacrymosa (Album: The Open Door , 2006)
- Juno Reactor : Conquistador I (Album: Labyrinth , 2004, Goa-Trance )
- Helga Pogatschar : Sequentia (Album: Mars Requiem , 1995, Post-Industrial )
- Helium Vola : Dies Ire (EP: The forest stands in light color , 2004)
- In Strict Confidence : In Favilla (Album: Exile Paradise , 2006)
- Lacrimosa : The Screams Are Silenced (Album: Echos , 2003)
- Libera : Dies Irae (Album: Libera , 1999)
- Luca Turilli's Dreamquest : Gothic Vision (Album: Lost Horizons , Power Metal)
- Mantus : Dies Irae (Album: Stranger Worlds )
- Guntram Pauli : Rock Requiem (1978)
- Rage : Dies Irae (Album: Unity , Heavy Metal)
- Rotting Christ : Dies Irea (Album: The Heretics , Black Metal)
- Black Angel : The Wrath of God (Album: Apocalypse )
- Sigh : Salvation in Flame / Confutatis (Album: Hangman's Hymn: Musical Exequies , Extreme Metal)
- Jim Steinman : Dance of the Vampires
- Subway to Sally : Vengeance Day (Album: Wedding , Folk Rock 1999)
- Symphony X : A Fool's Paradise (Album: V - The New Mythology Suite , Progressive Metal; this album also contains an adaptation of the Dies Irae from the Verdi Requiem)
- Thyrfing : Far Åt Helvete (Album: Farsotstider , 2005, Pagan Metal)
- Wolfenmond : Dies irae, Dies illa (album: Flammenpiel und Schattenklang , 2004, music of the medieval scene)
Examples of quotations
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe : Faust I , 3.20: Cathedral ( full text at Wikisource )
Original Latin text and German translation
(sung in Latin)
Dies irae dies illa, |
Day of vengeance, day of sins, |
literature
- Friedrich Gustav Lisco : Stabat Mater, hymn to the pain of Mary: together with an addendum to the translations of the hymn Dies irae: second contribution to hymnology. Berlin: GWF Müller 1843 ( digitized version )
- Fidel Rädle : Dies irae. In: Hansjakob Becker (Ed.): In the face of death. An interdisciplinary compendium. St. Ottilien: EOS 1987 ISBN 978-3-88096-283-5 , pp. 331-340
Web links
- Introduction to Symphonie fantastique
- Detailed review of the Dies Irae (with literal translation into German)