Rufus Wainwright, “Dream Requiem,” for soprano, narrator, choir, and orchestra
In 1815, the eruption of Mount Tambora plunged the Earth into darkness: a cloud of ash caused the world to experience a “Year Without a Summer.” George Byron captured this bleak vision in his poem *Darkness*—a portrait of a world without light or direction.
Image gallery
Berliner Philharmonie
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rufus Wainwright took up these words and composed his *Dream Requiem*: a requiem “for human touch, togetherness, and the human voice.” In it, he combines Byron’s apocalyptic vision—narrated by Iris Berben—with the texts of the traditional Mass for the Dead.
Featuring a large ensemble including an orchestra, mixed choir, children’s choir, and soprano, the work unfolds a haunting soundscape that oscillates between lament and hope. In the Offertory, a wordless viola solo hovers above the orchestra before the music fades away into a vast, receding soundscape.
Instrumentation
- German Symphony Orchestra Berlin
- Kazuki Yamada, conductor
- Regula Mühlemann, soprano
- Iris Berben, Narrator
- Berlin Radio Choir
- Simon Halsey, chorus master
Program
Rufus Wainwright
Dream Requiem for soprano, narrator, choir, and orchestra
Additional information
Participating artists
Regula Mühlemann
Iris Berben
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Simon Halsey
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Kazuki Yamada
Dates
April 2027
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