The German Requiem is not a Mass in the traditional liturgical sense; rather, Brahms sets a very personal and carefully-assembled group of texts from the Lutheran Bible in this seven-movement work for soloists, choir and large orchestra, centring around themes of transience, grief and consolation.

As one of the most affecting sacred works of all, the German Requiem has overcome all linguistic barriers and achieved worldwide success, reflecting the composer’s comment that “as concerns the text...