Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem

Program: Johannes Brahms’s (1833-1897) Ein deutsches Requiem (arrangeret for Ensemble Mutatis og Ensemble Profundo) The piece was originally written for mixed choir, orchestra, and two soloists. As part of our project “Metamorphosis”, Mutatis has now together with the male choir Ensemble Profundo commissioned the second version of this piece by Torbjörn Helander. Lund University Male Chorus commissioned the first version for male choir but why commission a version for only male choir of this classic work at all? Creating different versions of their works was very common during both the Baroque and Romantic periods. Brahms himself arranged the piece from orchestra to two pianos and also made changes in instrumentation between different performances. The work was composed in the mid-1860s, and Brahms was very familiar with the sound of male choirs at that time. Through this commission, we aim to make a very popular and beloved choral work accessible to male choirs worldwide.