5th Movement: Dies Irae
The fifth movement of the Requiem, Dies Irae, is accompanied by a video tour of the Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo in Toledo, Spain. Dies Irae, like each of the composition's movements, was inspired by the beauty and grandeur of some of the world's great cathedrals and churches.
The Text Dies Irae (Day of wrath) The text is from the 19-stanza Dies Irae section of the Requiem liturgy (stanzas 1 and 2). Tradition has it that the entire Dies Irae originated with St. Gregory the Great in the 4th century, though it is probably a later addition to the Mass.
The Composition This brief and simple interpretation of the Dies Irae is performed acapella by tenors and basses.
Latin Text and English Translation
Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
Teste David cum Sibylla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
This day, this day of wrath
shall consume the world in ashes,
as foretold by David and the Sibyl.
Great trembling there will be
when the Judge descends from
heaven to examine all things closely.
