Berlioz's Requiem is often thought of only as a work of gigantic proportions, with impressive, even bombastic effects that require a large number of performers and are guaranteed to raise the audience out of their seats. The four brass choirs positioned at the corners of the stage, or at the corners of the hall, ring out the threat of Judgment Day in a way that is truly memorable. And yet, to think of this work only in these terms is to ignore other moments of quiet devotion and intense beauty, and to deny the craftsmanship that unifies this complex work in a highly skilled way. A performance of this work that focuses only on the bombastic effects and the thrilling orchestration does a great injustice (disservice?) to the work and to the composer.
Berlioz has written, in the Requiem, a carefully woven work with a strong sense of formal design, motivic development, melodic cyclicness, and tonal relationships, and with thoughtful consideration for the setting of every word.
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