No other piece of music captivated iconic conductor Robert Shaw more than the Brahms Requiem. A symposium presented by Chorus America in honor of the Shaw centenary explored the conductor’s deep connection to this masterwork—and what it reveals about his approach to music and his legacy.
After performing the Brahms Requiem as the centerpiece of Chorus America’s Robert Shaw Centenary Symposium in mid-April, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus brought the work to New York for a special performance at Carnegie Hall. Music journalist Matthew Sigman attended the New York performance—which also included Jonathan Leshnoff’s newly-commissioned work Zohar—and reflects on his experience hearing the masterpiece for the first time.
The Brahms Requiem served as the artistic focal point of Chorus America’s Robert Shaw Centenary Symposium, which centered around the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus’s April 2016 performance of this masterwork. Symposium faculty shared their thoughts on issues conductors ought to address as they prepare the piece.
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