Upon listening to Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, it is no wonder that it is one of his most famous works and one of the most famous works within the twentieth-century repertoire. Just the tolling church bell is enough to draw me in. My perceptions upon hearing the first phrases of this piece is the arrival of death in war and may the strongest fighter be the strongest animal in a cycle of vicious killing for not a purpose other than to fight. I agree with Britten's pacifist stance because I do believe we're in war for very bad reasons--other than just spending billions of dollars on it. I believe this piece still has poignance and weight today. I think it could be used to describe not only the Vietnam War that was happening at the time but it could stand for the brutal slaughtering of men and women which we currently face today.
Another thing that draws me immediately to this piece are the titles of the work, from Requiem Aeternam and Bells for Those Who Die as Cattle to So Abram Rose. The second movement's title goes along with what I was saying about the brutal slaughtering of men that still goes on today. I often refer to the present war effort as the tour de force of the true carnivore. The second movement in this requiem speaks to me in this disoriented yet pointed reason that we are killing off people as if they were cattle, fit to be slaughtered and disposed. This heady movement is a direct depiction of our thrust for the blood and gore of violence for which many of us still seek as an end to our problems. The fact that the second movement is followed by a Dies Irae (chant for the Day of the Dead), complete with military-sounding motives and harmonies in the trumpet, adds even further poignance and depth to the unforgiving nature of war. The other thing that strikes my attention is the mixture of English and Latin texts. That paints, to me a description, that is half religious and half secular. When I interpret the mix of titles, it seems that Britten is comparing the two worlds rather than keeping them separate. Most of the other music of the time would either be all religious or all secular.
There are several sections throughout that feature two tenors (or is a tenor and a baritone) who sing in thirds starting out a phrase and finish in unison. The blend in their voices is so clear, it's amazing.
The sixth to last movement, the Benedictus (?) is especially uplifting with it's cluster of voices in higher-most range triumphantly singing religiously against the war. For example, the part of this movement I am referring to is in D major or has a D orientation where the sopranos split. One goes Ben-a-dic-tus (D, C#, D, F#, F#) while the other sings Ben-e-dic-tus (D, C#, A, A). This particular section is in a 3/4 meter. the brass, strings and timpani (tuned to D and A) are providing all the support for the singers.
In the beginning, I really enjoy the tolling bells and the thunderous undercurrent of percussion with low-to-mid strings cutting like a knife through butter hinting at the pain of war and how it really slaughters actual people and the survivors’ emotions to the point of almost going AWOL. This swells and then calms down and then comes out triumphantly with the horn carrying the strains of war to a close. It is a triumphant strain for peace, as could be witnessed and felt today amidst all the crises that still happen on the landscape. Haven’t we soiled everything enough? Let music, if it be the only worldly thing left, stand to remind us of the horrors and consequences of our actions while providing a glimmer of hope.
