8th Movement: Ingemesco
The eighth movement of the Requiem, Ingemisco tanquam reus, is accompanied by a video tour of the Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg in Bamberg, Germany
Ingemesco, 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 Ingemisco tanquam reus (I groan as if guilty) Ingemesco is from the Dies Irae section of the Requiem liturgy, stanzas 12 through 15. Tradition has it that the Dies Irae originated with St. Gregory the Great in the 4th century, though it is probably a later addition to the Mass.
Latin Text and English Translation
Ingemisco tanquam reus,
culpa rubet vultus meus;
supplicanti parce, Deus.
Qui Mariam absolvisti,
et latronem exaudisti,
mihi quoque spem dedisti.
preces meae non sunt dignae,
Sed tu, bonus, fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter oves locum praesta,
et ab hoedis me sequestra,
statuens in parte dextra.
I groan as one guilty,
my face blushes with guilt;
spare the suppliant, O God.
Thou who didst absolve Mary [Magdalen]
and hear the prayer of the thief
hast given me hope, too.
My prayers are not worthy,
but Thou, O good one, show mercy,
lest I burn in everlasting fire,
Give me a place among the sheep,
and separate me from the goats,
placing me on Thy right hand.
The Composition Ingemisco tanquam reus is both lament and prayer, acknowledging one’s guilt, and praying for deliverance from God’s just punishment. Accordingly, with Ingemesco's melodies and atypical harmonies, I'm trying to create a sense of anxiety and imbalance, with resolutions that are only temporary. Adding to the ominous tone are the unexpected key changes: The movement begins in F minor, and soon changes to A minor. It then modulates to C# major before returning to the original F minor. And finally, reflecting the hopefulness of the last line of the text (“placing me on Thy right hand”), the movement ends on an F major chord.
Ingemesco is scored for strings: 24 violins, 8 violas, 8 cellos, and 9 double basses. Sopranos, basses and tenors comprise the chorus.
