Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem in D Minor”, opus 48, was composed between 1887 and 1890. It is a serene and intimate work focused on comforting images of death as a “lullaby” rather than dramatic judgement. It omits the traditional “Dies Irae” (“Day of Wrath”) in favor of themes of rest, peace and paradise. It is characterized by gentle melodies, modal harmonies (think Debussy here) and soft non-percussive accompaniment. Faure described his work as “death as a happy deliverance, an aspiration to joy above, rather than a painful experience.” It prioritizes solace and peace over fear or judgement⁰.

“Fiddler on the Roof” is a landmark American Broadway musical, with music by Terry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. Set in 1905 in the Jewish shtetl (village) of Anatevka, Russia, it tells the story of Tevye, a dairy man. He is trying to maintain his family’s cultural and religious traditions amid changing social and political attitudes, as well as increasing anti-Semitic violence. The musical is based on “Tevye and His Daughters” by Sholem Aleichem, often referred to as the Jewish counterpart of Mark Twain. “Fiddler” opened in 1964, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. It was the first musical to surpass 3,000 performances, and held that record for nearly a decade.