Bradley Ellingboe’s Requiem: Influences and Analysis for Performance

Abstract

Bradley Ellingboe (b. 1956) is an American composer who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ellingboe has over one hundred and twenty choral compositions and four larger choral-orchestral works in print. Requiem, composed in 2001, was Ellingboe’s first major work for choir and orchestra. Bradley Ellingboe’s study of the music of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) and his prolonged exposure to Norwegian folk song and Lutheranism have influenced his melodic, textual, and formal choices in his Requiem. An understanding of these influences will aid conductors in creating stylistically appropriate performances of Requiem. Bradley Ellingboe was raised in a Norwegian-American family in Lakeville, Minnesota. To give further context, a brief biography of the composer and highlights of the history of requiem mass are included in this document. In this document, I discuss the importance of the inclusion of the folk tune, Jeg lagde mig saa silde and a recurring cello solo that serves as a Leitmotif throughout Requiem. Through motivic analysis the influence of Norwegian folk music and the music of Edvard Grieg are further revealed. The discussion of the architecture, text choices, and the emotional progression in Requiem reveal the influence of Ellingboe’s Lutheran faith. This document also includes a chapter that provides rehearsal and performance suggestions for conductors.