Song Details
- Album Release Date: 1985-06-17
- Album Name: Britten: War Requiem (2 CDs)
Song Meaning (Interpretation) of “War Requiem, Op.66 / Dies Irae: “Dies Irae”” by Benjamin Britten
“Dies Irae” from Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, Op. 66, paints a bleak and despairing image of man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man. The music vacillates between hope and despair, embodying the emotional rollercoaster of a world at war. In the opening of the piece, a choir of somber a cappella voices intones a hauntingly beautiful “Dies Irae,” setting a tone of sorrow and desperation. The composition builds ever so slowly, eventually coming to a blistering climax. The message is clear: the insatiable appetite for violence will eventually have dire consequences for us all. Although one can draw hope from the resolution of the piece, it is not an outright victory for peace–just a reminder of the atrocity of war and the importance of learning from our mistakes.