Dies Irae

[ dee-eys eer-ey ]

noun

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

Dies Irae

/ ˈdiːeɪz ˈɪəraɪ /

noun

1. Christianity a famous Latin hymn of the 13th century, describing the Last Judgment. It is used in the Mass for the dead
2. a musical setting of this hymn, usually part of a setting of the Requiem

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dies Irae¹

literally: day of wrath

Example Sentences

With its truncheonlike guitar riff and haunting aura that called to mind a rock ’n’ roll “Dies Irae,” the song is considered a progenitor of heavy metal and encapsulated Mr. Ingle’s ambition at the time:

From New York Times

Then we get to the third movement, which puts the Dies Irae melody against a nod to the Resurrection in Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil.”

From New York Times

The Philadelphians were practically feline in the iridescent orchestration of the grim Dies Irae’s appearance in the “Rhapsody.”

From New York Times

And in several places, his “Requiem” emulates the intra-movement structures of Verdi’s: The “Introit,” with its glowing a cappella choral passages, and the shock of the “Dies Irae” each feel familiar in form.

From Washington Post

With its ingenious recastings of Russian Orthodox chants and the Catholic “Dies Irae,” this can be a grand, mesmerizingly intense score, a danse macabre written as World War II was underway.

From New York Times