Radio Filharmonisch Orkest and Groot Omroepkoor led by Risto Joost

Sofia Fomina, soprano
Raoul Steffani, baritone

Recorded live at the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, 6 July 2026.

Listen to NPO Klassiek Live broadcast

Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem is not only imposing, but also deeply moving and comforting. Brahms’ poignant composition regularly features on the programmes of the Groot Omroepkoor (Netherlands Radio Choir). This time, the singers perform it together with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, soprano Sofia Fomina, baritone Raoul Steffani, and conductor Risto Joost.

Brahms’ A German Requiem

In the nineteenth century, composers who wrote a requiem generally used the traditional Latin requiem text and focused on the deceased. Brahms took a different approach. For A German Requiem, he selected passages from Luther’s German translation of the Bible, addressing themes such as grief, transience, and consolation. Rather than being a prayer for the dead, Brahms’ work places the emphasis on the emotions of those left behind—the living. This explains why he would have preferred to call his composition A Human Requiem.