Requiem in memoriam of Johan de Witt is a composition commemorating the tragic events of 1672, known as the “rampjaar” (disastrous year), when the Dutch Republic was simultaneously attacked by France, England, and Germany. This year also saw the brutal murder of the Dutch political leaders Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis de Witt.

The piece is a combination of sacred and profane texts. The sacred part consists of traditional parts of the Catholic Requiem Mass, while the profane sections include excerpts from a Latin ode to Johan de Witt by the Dutch poet Jan van Broekhuizen (1649-1707).

In Part II, the exclamation “Ultimi Barbarorum” (the last of the barbarians), a famous quote by philosopher Spinoza, is used to illustrate his attempt to calm the angry mob during the murder of the De Witt brothers in The Hague. The same section also features the Dutch expression “redeloos (the people), radeloos (the government), reddeloos” (the country without reason, the government without hope, the land without salvation).

The composition contrasts two musical styles: the sacred requiem texts are written in an accessible and melodic style, while the profane text fragments have a more dissonant, robust, and intense character.

Title: Requiem in memoriam Johan de Witt
Composed by: Roel van Oosten
In Memory of: Johan de Witt and Cornelis de Witt, 1672
Performers: The Carol Company (choir), Cait Frizzell (soprano), Sepp Grotenhuis (piano), Andrew Wright (organ), Konstantyn Napolov (percussion)
Conductor: Stef Collignon