Brahms's great "Human" Requiem, as he called the work we know as Ein deutsches Requiem, is one of the shining achievements in the choral repertoire. Noteworthy not just because it is in German, but more significantly because it uses none of the canonical requiem text, it is a miracle of balance, pacing, and affekt. With typically flawless contrapuntal control, Brahms moves effortlessly through seemingly far-flung harmonic areas and often seamlessly changes the rhythmic profile of a movement, as can be heard in this month's clip, the calming middle movement of the work, "How lovely are thy dwellings."