Chorus Of Dutch National Opera Presents Brahms' EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM

On 22 April, Dutch National Opera says farewell to Ching-Lien Wu, Chorus master of Dutch National Opera, with a live stream from the Great Hall of the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, for which DNO and the Concertgebouw join forces for the first time. "An opera chorus - and certainly one as richly coloured as ours - can give a wonderful and distinctive interpretation to Ein deutsches Requiem," Wu says.

"Happy are the sorrowful, for they shall be comforted." These are the opening words of Johannes Brahms' monumental choral work Ein deutsches Requiem. A religious work for the concert hall, filled with a message of hope and consolation. With Ein deutsches Requiem, Brahms composed an unusual Requiem. The text is not sung in Latin, but in German, and deviates from traditional liturgy. Brahms saw the work as a humanist meditation on life and suffering, based on his own selection of texts from the Bible. He therefore gave his composition the subtitle "Ein menschliches Requiem".

This concert marks the departure of Ching-Lien Wu who, as artistic director, has forged the Chorus of Dutch National Opera into a world-class opera chorus. Ching-Lien Wu leaves Amsterdam for Paris, where she has been appointed "Chef des choeurs" at Opéra National de Paris. Wu has been working at Dutch National Opera (DNO) for seven seasons and in this time has taken the chorus to great heights, with recognition as Opera Chorus of the Year by Opernwelt as crowning achievement.

Ching-Lien Wu leads her forces in an intimate version of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem for two pianos and timpani. With Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia and British baritone Huw Montague Rendall, both making their debut with Dutch National Opera, this concert boasts a first-rate line-up, not only in terms of its Chorus, but also its soloists.

In a unique collaboration, the National Opera and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam will join forces for the first time in presenting a live stream from the prestigious Great Hall of the Concertgebouw.

Learn more at operaballet.nl.

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