Bihlmaier, BBC Singers & BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Johannes Brahms would have liked to call the German Requiem "Human Requiem": "As far as the text is concerned, I must confess that I would rather leave out the 'German' and simply put 'Human'," he wrote to the conductor of the world premiere, Carl Reinthaler, in 1867. This humanity is also reflected in the texts he chose: In contrast to the often martial "Dies irae, dies illa," which places the Last Judgment at the center of other requiems, Brahms addresses the grieving survivors with his requiem, wishing to provide them with comfort. This is already evident at the beginning when the choir begins a cappella with the words "Blessed are those who mourn." At the Bruckner Festival in Linz, this "Human Requiem" will be experienced in a very special international lineup: Anja Bihlmaier conducts the BBC Singers and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, of which she has been the First Guest Conductor since 2024. The solo parts will be taken by British soprano Nardus Williams and Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins.