Dies Irae

Di·es I·rae

(dē′ās îr′ā′)

A medieval Latin hymn describing Judgment Day, used in some masses for the dead.

[Medieval Latin Diēs īrae, day of wrath (the first words of the hymn) : Latin diēs, day + Latin īrae, genitive of īra, wrath.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Dies Irae

(ˈdiːeɪz ˈɪəraɪ)

1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity a famous Latin hymn of the 13th century, describing the Last Judgment. It is used in the Mass for the dead

2. (Music, other) a musical setting of this hymn, usually part of a setting of the Requiem

[literally: day of wrath]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Di•es I•rae

(ˈdi eɪs ˈɪər eɪ)
n.

a Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment, commonly sung in a Requiem Mass.

[Latin: day of wrath]

Dies Irae

A Latin phrase meaning day of wrath, used to mean a Latin hymn that describes the Day of Judgment.

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Noun

Dies Irae - the first words of a medieval Latin hymn describing the Last Judgment (literally `day of wrath')

References in classic literature ?

Jamrach Holobom's translation of the following lines from the Dies Irae :

View in context

The walls were all hung with black, but, instead of the white trimmings that usually set off that funereal upholstery, there was an enormous stave of music with the notes of the DIES IRAE, many times repeated.

View in context

One thing is certain,--that there is a mustering among the masses, the world over; and there is a dies irae coming on, sooner or later.

View in context

Verdi's Requiem has become famous for the thrilling Dies Irae, an unforgettably dramatic evocation of the Day of Judgement.

Royal date for young music stars

This work requires an opening mood of profound sorrow, leavened by the hope of deliverance - followed by the wrath of the Dies Irae and a world turned to ashes.

Mozart, Britten, Part come alive as `Requiem' tops masterworks

As in the Fiery Lake, Slavicky has created a terrifying Dies irae, made more powerful by a choral element.

Milan Slavicky

I felt terrible leaving certain pieces off my list (the soundtrack to Tousles Matins du Monde, for example, or Schubert's "Erlkonig" sung by Bryn Terfel, the "Dies Irae" from Britten's War Requiem and "I'll Back You Up" by the Dave Matthews Band).

The final take: music that Joseph Kaiser can't live without

The three movements are entitled Lachrymosa, Dies Irae and Requiem Eternam and, next week, it will be followed by a performance of the 1st Symphony of Mahler.

Classical

At the key moment in the "Dies Irae," when the four brass choirs enter at a new tempo, Habeneck set down his baton and started to take a pinch of snuff.

Requiem as a dream

The work's references to plainchant melodies linked it neatly with the Dies Irae used extensively in RaRachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini which followed.

MUSIC REVIEW; MoscowState Symphony Orchestra Symphony Hall

But if the Austrian''s outside approach was seen as idiosyncratic, Petrenko''s reading of his fellow Russian is even more instinctive to the quick-changing dynamics - including the Dies Irae theme of the finale, remembered by those of a certain age as the original signature tune for BBC''s Panorama - now enabling him to take prime possession.

Review; VASILY PETRENKO RLPO, Philharmonic Hall

What is the literal meaning of the title of the 13th century Latin hymn Dies Irae? 2.