The longest work in Brahms’s entire oeuvre, A German Requiem was almost certainly triggered by the death of his mother, although it also seems likely that the tragic loss of his friend Robert Schumann, some years earlier, added to its depth and eloquence. Taking inspiration from Bach’s contrapuntal genius but avoiding overt religious tradition, Brahms chose the texts himself, placing an emphasis on an affirmation of life with the suggestion that he would gladly have substituted ‘human’ for ‘German’ in the title. This release joins Antoni Wit’s ‘richly satisfying’ (Gramophone) recording of Brahms Choral Music [8.572694].

This stunning release on both CD and Blu-Ray Audio follows the success of Antoni Wit and his Warsaw musicians in their Janácek Glagolitic Mass (8.572639 & NBD0026) which was given five stars by BBC Music Magazine and described as “gripping from start to finish” by Gramophone. Wit’s track record in Brahms is also proven, with his Brahms Choral Music (8.572694) considered “a trove with as much musical-dramatic weight as many an opera” (Opera News) and “marvellously sung and played” (Gramophone). The best soloists top the bill for this recording of A German Requiem, soprano Christine Libor admired by Opera News for “the quality of her voice, the sheer beauty of tone from top to bottom.” Acclaimed baritone Thomas E. Bauer’s recordings have received awards such as the Orphée d’Or, the Stanley Sadie Prize and a Gramophone Award.

One of the most highly regarded Polish conductors, Antoni Wit is professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. In 2010 he won the annual award of the Karol Szymanowski Foundation for his promotion of the music of Szymanowski in his Naxos recordings.