Luigi Cherubini's Requiem in C minor (1816) was one of
the most highly regarded sacred works of its time,
often compared in its solemnity to Mozart's Requiem in
D minor, and admired by Beethoven, Schumann, and
Brahms. Composed for the belated obsequies in 1817 for
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and performed 10 years
later at Beethoven's funeral, this Requiem is
conservative in style; modest in its scoring for choir,
orchestra, and continuo; and almost subdued in its lack
of vocal solos and the...(+)
Luigi Cherubini's Requiem in C minor (1816) was one of
the most highly regarded sacred works of its time,
often compared in its solemnity to Mozart's Requiem in
D minor, and admired by Beethoven, Schumann, and
Brahms. Composed for the belated obsequies in 1817 for
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and performed 10 years
later at Beethoven's funeral, this Requiem is
conservative in style; modest in its scoring for choir,
orchestra, and continuo; and almost subdued in its lack
of vocal solos and theatrical devices (except for the
brass fanfares and tam-tam crash at the opening of the
Dies Irae). This performance by the Kammerchor
Stuttgart and the Hofkapelle Stuttgart, conducted by
Frieder Bernius, is true to period style, and the
distinctive sound of the original instruments give this
music its late Classical flavor. The strongest
attraction, though, is Cherubini's fluid counterpoint,
which stands out in high relief in the austere scoring
and lends the work a high-minded intellectual quality
that suits its formal nature. The sound of this hybrid
SACD is clean and transparently clear, so all the
subtle nuances of the voices and instruments are easily
discerned.
Although originally written for Chorus (SATB) &
Orchestra, I created this arrangement of the Ave Maria
for Winds (Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, French Horn &
Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
PARTITION