Dies Irae: A Melody of Doom

One of the most famous sequences of Gregorian chant, Dies Irae – “Day of Wrath” – describes the Last Judgment of souls before God where the saved will go to heaven and the unsaved cast into eternal flames of suffering. This 13th-century plainchant melody has since been used by composers throughout time to symbolize death, despair, and impending doom. (Perfect for Halloween, right?)

History of Dies Irae

Scholars aren’t completely sure who wrote Dies Irae. Many believe the poem was penned by Italian friar Thomas of Celano (1200-1265) or Italian cardinal Latino Malabranca Orsini (d. 1294). And even others believe the chant is possibly as old as the 7th century. Dies Irae is used in the Requiem Mass (also known as the Mass for the Dead or Funeral Mass).

Text

The powerful text hones in on the fear of the Last Judgment. Here are the first three and the last stanzas (out of 19!):

Dies iræ! Dies illa Solvet sæclum in favilla: Teste David cum Sibylla! Quantus tremor est futurus, Quando iudex est venturus, Cuncta stricte discussurus! Tuba mirum spargens sonum Per sepulchra regionum, Coget omnes ante thronum. … Pie Iesu Domine, dona eis requiem. Amen.

Day of wrath and doom impending, David’s word with Sibyl’s blending, Heaven and earth in ashes ending! Oh, what fear man’s bosom rendeth, When from heaven the Judge descendeth, On whose sentence all dependeth. Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth; Through earth’s sepulchres it ringeth; All before the throne it bringeth. … Lord, all-pitying, Jesus blest, Grant them thine eternal rest. Amen.

For the full text and translation, click here.

Inspiration for the Dies Irae text came from a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible, specifically two verses from the book of Zephaniah. Zephaniah 1:15–16 reads, “That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and distress, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and obscurity, a day of clouds and whirlwinds, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high bulwarks.”

Other notable images in Dies Irae come from Revelation 20:11–15 (the book from which the world will be judged), Matthew 25:31–46 (sheep and goats, right hand, contrast between the blessed and the accursed doomed to flames), 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (trumpet), 2 Peter 3:7 (heaven and earth burnt by fire), and Luke 21:26 (“men fainting with fear… they will see the Son of Man coming”).

Musical Discussion

The music for Dies Irae is equally memorable. The opening of the theme descends in an interlocking pattern of 2nd and 3rd intervals before finishing with a descending scale. In fact, because the theme is so memorable (and the lyrics are so foreboding), many composers have quoted the Dies Irae theme in their own compositions to signify death and doom. Let’s listen to a few of these compositions.

Symphony No. 103 (1795) by Haydn

This symphony opens with a dramatic drumroll before playing the first four notes of the Dies Irae theme at 0:21. The somber melody (portrayed in the bass instruments) starts out in a minor key before finishing the phrase on a major chord (joined by the flutes and oboes). The sequence repeats at 0:43. The theme is picked up again at 1:05, this time with high strings. The Day of Wrath motif pops up throughout the rest of the first movement, transformed and changed in many different ways.

Totentanz: Paraphrase on Dies Irae (1838, 1859) by Liszt

This set of variations for piano and orchestra takes the Dies Irae theme and reshapes it, pushing it to the brink of doom and gloom. The theme is first played at 0:08, straightforward against the piano’s grotesque accompaniment. Rapidly alternating chords, jarring octaves, shimmering runs, and virtuosic passages combine with the theme to create a burning image of, well, hell. Check out this post for more on Totentanz.

Isle of the Dead (1908) by Rachmaninoff

Based on a black and white rendition of the painting in the video (it’s also the featured image for this post), this symphonic poem tells the story of Death rowing souls to the Isle of the Dead. Fragments of melody appear through a shrowded covering of fog and mystery, with 1:51 bringing a glimpse of the Dies Irae theme. This motif is then passed on from instrument to instrument as the music builds.

By the way, Rachmaninoff stuffed his music full of the Dies Irae theme. His three symphonies, The Bells choral symphony, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and his Piano sonata No. 1 are just a few additional pieces that use the Gregorian chant.

Aphorisms, Op. 13 No. 7, “Dance of Death (1927) by Shostakovich

This short piano piece combines frantically manic energy with Dies Irae. The death theme first appears from 0:17-0:21, supported by a uniquely atonal accompaniment. In fact, the treatment of the Day of Wrath melody seems almost lighthearted in comparison to other compositions that use the theme. This piece ends with one more statement of Dies Irae at 0:46, but this time it’s in a lower octave supported by rapidly repeated chords in a high register.

“The Shining” Opening Theme

The score from this 1980 movie takes inspiration directly from Dies Irae. And how appropriate, considering the movie is about insanity, death, fear, and everything Dies Irae represents.

These are just some of the compositions inspired by the Day of Wrath. And even though they are all vastly different in style, the musical roots – and the story – are the same: “Day of wrath and doom impending!”