Duruflé: Sacred Choral & Organ Works, Vol. 1

1. Requiem for soprano, baritone, chorus, organ, & orchestra, Op. 9
Composed by Maurice Durufle
Performed by City Orchestra with Didier Henry , Eric Lebrun , Francois Poly
Conducted by Michel Piquemal

2. Motets (4) on Gregorian Themes for chorus, Op 10
Composed by Maurice Durufle
Performed by City Orchestra Conducted by Michel Piquemal

3. Organ Work(s)
Composed by Maurice Durufle
Performed by City Orchestra with Eric Lebrun
Conducted by Michel Piquemal

4. Notre Père, Op. 14
Composed by Maurice Durufle
Performed by City Orchestra Conducted by Michel Piquemal

5. Organ Work(s)
Composed by Maurice Durufle
Performed by City Orchestra Conducted by Michel Piquemal

Product Description

Amazon.com
Ah, such pretty music. Durufle was one of those French mystical types--full of Gregorian chant-inspired melody. His organ music is thoroughly typical of his small but immaculately crafted output. The Scherzo is a real charmer, while the Prelude and fugue pays affectionate tribute to a talented colleague. His Requiem became so popular that the composer arranged it for every instrumental combination except perhaps kazoo orchestra. This version is the one featuring a big solo organ part (with chamber orchestra), and it's well performed and recorded. Piquemal's vocal ensemble isn't the last word in polish, but they sing with enthusiasm and fans of the composer need not hesitate. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Hallelujah
Ave Verum Corpus K.618
Kyrie Eleison
Passion Chorale
The Shepherds' Farewell
Lift Thine Eyes To The Mountains
He Watching Over Israel
Dona Nobis Pacem
Hallelujah
Worthy Is The Lamb
Sanctus
Bogoroditse Devo
Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen
The Heavens Are Telling
Rex Tremendae

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-01-12

-gave this as a Christmas gift to my brother-in-law, a church musician. He has listened over & over & thinks it is really outstanding. Thank you!

The heavens are telling.......2005-10-21

This is a very great chorus, and one of Haydn's best as far as i am concerned. The pace, grandness and spirit of the piece all conjure in one's imagination the majesty of heaven, and God's throne. I cannot help but be moved to praise the God of the heavens and the earth.

kanmi ogundipe

Uncle Abe rattles the house with this thing.......2004-11-22

I came home from work one day when my uncle was visiting my wife and myself. He was recently retired from the ministry. He had heard a lot of choral music in his life. My aunt said he had the stereo ( power end of my stereo at the time was an Adcomm 555 amp. conservatively rated at 200 watts RMS per channel) up so loud it was rattling the whole house. I too have come to love this music. I mostly listen to rock and roll; but the way my uncle, and now I, play this thing, it is rock and roll from another era!!!

Sir Robert with ASO and Chorus at their Best!.......2003-11-16

After Mr Shaw spent many years in NYC and Cleveland with RCA Red Label,he came into Atlanta for a big change! Soon he switched to TELARC DIGITAL! I still Joyfully remember our Recording of the Christmas Nativity in Dec of 1975! Sir Robert, conducting with earphones encasing his head shouted: "Stop the taping, there is some Darn Sizzling noise in those Lights!" We may have not heard the word "Damn" lights, that he employed at times!

On both this newer release of TELARC and the older Recording of The Christmas Nativity, there are Bach's Chorale, Break Forth, Dona Nobis Pacem from the B-Minor Mass, Handel's Hallelujah! Plus the exquisite, Shepherds's Farewell to the Holy Family of Berlioz's The Infant Christ!

Those who may not be familiar with Berlioz from both recordings, will be richly rewarded by hearing them plus the Rex Tremendae from Berlioz''s Requiem and the other Kyrie from the Bach B-Minor! Absolutely, no other Christmas Music can ever approach these two splendid recordings, which are the basis of the ASO celebrating every Christmas with "Robert Shaw in the Spirit!"

Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Celestial melodies.......2001-05-27

No matter what mood you are in, the gorgeous chorals will draft you through the paths of holiness, and you will find yourself situated in the Elysium, land of eternal joy, yet you are far from dead. The past grief, weariness, and worries will fade and torture your soul no more. You are set free.

Tracks:

Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: I Introit
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: II Kyrie
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: III Domine Jesus Christe
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: Hostias
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: IV Sanctus
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: V Pie Jesu
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: VI Agnus Dei
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: VII Lux aeterna
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: VIII Libera me
Requiem pour soli, choeur, orchestre & orgue, Op.9: IX In Paradisum
Messe (cum jubilo) pour baryton solo, choeur de barytons, orchestre & orgue, Op.11: I Kyrie
Messe (cum jubilo) pour baryton solo, choeur de barytons, orchestre & orgue, Op.11: II Gloria
Messe (cum jubilo) pour baryton solo, choeur de barytons, orchestre & orgue, Op.11: III Sanctus
Messe (cum jubilo) pour baryton solo, choeur de barytons, orchestre & orgue, Op.11: IV Benedictus
Messe (cum jubilo) pour baryton solo, choeur de barytons, orchestre & orgue, Op.11: V Agnus Dei
4 Motets sur des themes gregoriens pour choeur a cappella, Op.10: I Ubi caritas (4 voix mixtes)
4 Motets sur des themes gregoriens pour choeur a cappella, Op.10: II Tota pulchra es (3 voix de femmes)
4 Motets sur des themes gregoriens pour choeur a cappella, Op.10: III Tu es Petrus (4 voix mixtes)
4 Motets sur des themes gregoriens pour choeur a cappella, Op.10: IV Tantum ergo (4 voix mixtes)
Notre Pere pour choeur a cappella (4 voix mixtes), Op.14

Amazon.com

This is the 1947, full-orchestra version of Maurice Duruflé's Requiem, one of the 20th century's most beloved choral works. It's the first of three versions the composer made of the piece. Despite the enhanced intimacy of the smaller-scale versions, the original offers a rich orchestral tapestry, especially compelling in the performance by Michel Plasson's forces, without diminishing the work's radiant beauties or its spiritual depths. Those virtues are enhanced by the singing of Anne Sofie von Otter and Thomas Hampson. The chorus, a weak element in the Requiem, shines brighter on the rest of the disc, which gathers all of Duruflé's choral music. The Mass is more assertive than the Requiem and should be heard more often. It gets a powerful performance here, as do the miniature Motets, intense in their restrained beauties. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Such a Beautiful Requiem.......2006-04-20

If you're a fan of requiems (especially the ones made by Brahms, Faure, and Berlioz) then you'll love this one by Maurice Durufle. It sounds so angelic and passionate. Michel Plasson's superb handling of the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse and the Orfeon Donostiarra gives makes this piece of work shine with full fervor and magnificence. The vocal soloists, von Otter and Hampson, never miss a step. This is a beautiful, but sometimes neglected, requiem, and it should be more recognized from outside of France.

Great French Music.......2006-02-27

I love this composition and its rendition by Michael Plasson. However, the inept sound recording used on this CD greatly reduces its value. Wish it were issued on SACD.

All things bright and beautiful..........2005-09-01

I've listened to 4 different recordings of Durufle's Requiem closely: Santa Cecilia National Academy Orchestra Rome with Cecilia Bartoli and Conducted by Myung-Whun Chung, Voices of Ascension Chorus & Orchestra with Patricia Spence and Conducted by Dennis Keene, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus with Judith Blegen and Conducted by Robert Shaw, and this one. And I have to say that this is my favorite. The textures are richer and the performances by the orchestra and choir are better than the others. I will admit though that Cecilia Bartoli gets my vote for most beautiful performance of the Pie Jesu, but Anne Sofie von Otter's rendition is also very nice.
However, if you're looking for just one recording of Durufle's Requiem, this should be the one.

PERFECTION!!.......2001-08-13

This is one of the most beautiful CDs on the face of the planet. Durufle, a composer of the French Organ School, was a composer who possessed much reserve and this shows through in the restrained beauty of his music. Of particular interest is Track 16, UBI CARITAS--Durufle as well as the chorus are at their best here. The chorus sings the beautiful motet gently and with much feeling. The sublime beauty of this work of art instantly brings Durufle as an equal to that of Mozart, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Beethoven. This music is not for those who like humungous bangs but rather those who can appreiate the quiet dignity of this man's work.

Average customer rating:

Choral work at it's finest.
Love it
Light and shadows
Cambridge Singers = Quality
American Gramaphone, please reissue this title.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Gregorian Chant , William Byrd , John Taverner , Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina , Samuel Scheidt , John Sheppard , Maurice Durufle , Robert White , Cambridge Singers , Gerald Finley , and John Rutter
Manufacturer: American Gramaphone
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Stillness And Sweet Harmony
Hail, Gladdening Light: Music of the English Church
Faire is the Heaven: Music of the English Church
Lighten our Darkness

ASIN: B0000005MF
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Music Of The Morning Rite: a. Alleluia - b. Haec Dies
Music Of The Morning Rite: Easter Sequence
Dum Transisset Sabbatum
Sanctus
Exsultate Deo
a. Easter Acclamations b. Surrexit Christus Hodie
Music Of The Evening Rite: Before The Ending Of The Day
Music Of The Evening Rite: In Pace
Music Of The Evening Rite: Into Thy Hands, O Lord
Music Of The Evening Rite: Ubi Caritas
Music Of The Evening Rite: Keep Me As The Apple Of An Eye And Nunc Dimittisa
Music Of The Evening Rite: O Christ, Who Art The Light And Day
Music Of The Evening Rite: a. We Will Lay Us Down In Peace b. Libera Nos, Salva Nos

Amazon.com

A brief glance at the packaging for this recording might make you think New Age, and indeed this label normally offers recordings in that vein. The disc's cover tells nothing about the music inside--all we see are the ruins of an ancient abbey, the moon in the sky on the front, the sun on the back. But wait. If you get far enough to listen to the recording, you'll find one of the most beautiful and beautifully programmed choral recordings in the catalog. The compositions, organized into the categories "Music of the Morning Rite" and "Music of the Evening Rite," are mostly from 16th- century composers--Byrd, Taverner, Sheppard, White--with a few Gregorian chants and a gorgeous rendition of the 20th-century motet by Duruflé, "Ubi caritas." Conductor/choral music legend John Rutter has assembled a program that's both uplifting and restful; the performance is faultless. One could only complain about the short (39 and a half minutes) playing time. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

Choral work at it's finest........2007-06-03

I really enjoyed this work. I was first introduced to this title through American Gramophone's website and was also my first introduction in the works of John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers. You do not have be religious to enjoy this work. I find the music uplifting and very sublime. I have listened to it many times, and I find that my favorite period to play it is in the morning hours. .

I have since purchased many other Rutter titles including "Images of Christ", and more recently "Lighten our Darkness"

Love it.......2007-05-02

13 years ago, I had the tape of brother sun, sister moon and as a teenager and I would play it every night as I slept, I loved it. I dont know what happened to it and I have ever sence been looking for it, and I just baught the CD and am so excited.

Light and shadows.......2003-07-29

Recorded in the Great Hall of University College School, London, the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter produced a true masterpiece in 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon' in 1988. The title derives from a famous prayer by St. Francis of Assisi, and is inspired by liturgical music from (or derivative of) the Middle Ages and Renaissance polyphony and Gregorian chant. The music is meditative, uplifting, and elegant in simplicity and stunning vocal quality.

--Brother Sun--
The first half of the disc is largely composed of pieces from the liturgical Morning Prayer cycle, concentrating on texts from Easter, the most important of Christian days. From the Alleluia to the Acclamations and Surrexit Christus Hodie (Christ is risen today), the flow from Gregorian Chant to compositions by Byrd, Taverner and Palestrina (giants of this type of music) in increasing energy and glory, as befits both a Morning service (time to wake up!) as well as a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Perhaps of particular note here is the cantoring of bass Gerald Finley in the Easter Acclamations.

--Sister Moon--
The second half of the disc concentrates on music of the evening; in particular, the Compline service, a service of unwinding and sombre meditation with which monastic communities conclude their days of work and worship. Many churches have reincorporated Compline into a regular cycle of services; some have even done so as a result of exposure to this recording. The music here is softer and less energetic than that of Morning prayer. This includes music from Whyte and Sheppard (also masters of the Medieval-to-Renaissance liturgical polyphony) as well as a brilliant motet by twentieth century composer Duruflé for the Ubi Caritas.

--Liner Notes--
The notes for this recording include the titles and words, in both Latin and English, for each of the pieces recorded here. It has an excerpt from a prayer by St. Francis, and a basic introduction to the music relating it historically and liturgically. One thing conspicuously missing is any biographical information about John Rutter, or any descriptive information about the Cambridge Singers apart from the basic listing of singers.

--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.

--The Cambridge Singers--
The Cambridge Singers are a mixed choir of voices, many of whom were members of choir of Rutter's college, Clare College, Cambridge. While they specialise in English and Latin liturgical pieces, they have a wide range of recordings that span from modern compositions (including a remarkable requiem by Rutter) to English folk songs of the Middle Ages. For this particular recording, the choir consisted of eleven sopranos, six altos, six tenors, and six basses.

Cambridge Singers = Quality.......2002-05-23

I do love this cd, but tend to play certain tracks as my first love is chant. I play the Victimae Paschali Laudes in the car and sing along - it is so very beautiful that this rendition of this Easter Chant is worth purchasing this cd alone. I love that one track so much, my only criticism of the cd is that I wish they'd centered the entire cd on chant - and I hope they will do one like that in the future because the quality of the voices is stunning.

American Gramaphone, please reissue this title........2000-03-30

I originally obtained this CD through Minnesota Public Radio. The first time I listened to the Ubi Caritus, I was moved to tears. The CD became my favorite to play at Christmas and other times. I gave the CD to a friend who has moved to Oregon, deeply regret that it is no longer in production.

Tracks:

Gloria In Excelsis
Sanctus
Glory To God
Awake The Harp
Gloria
Gloria
Sanctus
Heavenly Light
Aeterna Fac
Slava V Vyshnikh Bogu
Sanctus
Gloria
Alleluia
Sanctus
Magnificat

Amazon.com

This compilation features excerpts from some of the greatest sacred works in the literature--including Bach's Mass in B Minor, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Missa solemnis, and Verdi's Requiem--all led by Robert Shaw. The selections, from recordings made between 1983 and 1997 by Shaw and various ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, are presented more or less in order of their composition, from Vivaldi's Gloria to Arvo Pärt's Magnificat. Especially thrilling is the complete "Gloria" from the Missa solemnis, 17 minutes of sheer grandeur, and the Sanctus movements from the Requiems of Verdi and Maurice Duruflé. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

It is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful........2007-05-15

I enjoyed this CD very much. It is just beautiful music.

Robert Shaw Choruses At Their Best!.......2004-09-20

If Sir Robert were still alive, & breathing, I believe he would be caught-up making music with this awesome, majestic, mystical GLORIA, Sanctus, Hallelujah Masterworks! I lucked-up on this old collection in the few classical CD'S in Best Buy!

At first hearing they sent me back into the 1970's when most of Church Musicians majored in Vivaldi's Gloria, the Sanctus of Bach's B-Minor Mass, the Long, georgeous GLORIA, Missa Solemnis, Beethoven, and incomparable Alleluia by Randall Thompson.

During a visit of Hurricane IVAN'S rushing winds and torrents of rain, I stayed on back roads of Decatur and East Atlanta! Also keeping alert & relaxed listening to Robert Shaw re-inventing his Choral Mystique! In slowly moving traffic of 2++ hours to Fayetteville, I kept alert singing along at 30 mph, wrapped in his quiet heavenly beauty of Koplov's "Heavenly Light!"

That mysteriously spiritual power of glorious choruses provided the same resourceful sounds of his eternal music-making from rehearsals in the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Westminster Choir College and Avery Fischer Hall concerts in NYC! (1975-1985)

Only the early 33 1/3 recordings of the Robert Shaw Chorale in his Spirituals and Irish Songs, later Handel's Messiah and Bach B-Minor Mass were forerunners to his awesome listing of repeated Grammy winners, now printed in digital stereo color and sound! Hooray for Sir Robert and his rich chorale legacy... Let's keep them singing for Eternity! Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Glorious.......2000-06-30

If I had to choose one conductor to compile exerpts from the greatest masses and works in choral literature and history, I would only bestow that duty to Robert Shaw and his choruses. Once again he displays his uncanny ability to not only choose beautiful music but also perform it in a spellbinding manner. Even with the pieces the average listener has heard or performed, such as Vivaldi's Gloria or portions of Handel's Messiah, one cannot help but become enthralled with the recordings of Shaw's interpretations of those works. Although Shaw never followed through on his early-life ambition to be a minister, I still believe he does so and perhaps to a greater extent through his music ministry. One cannot help but feel closer to understanding what heaven is about after having finished listening to this CD. This is well worth buying for it will live up to the english interpretation of its Latin title: Glorious.

Sacred Treasures IV: Choral Masterworks, Quiet Prayers

Average customer rating:

Sacred Treasures IV
Divine Beauty And Peace!
Music for Personal Relection and Prayer
Stunning Musical Expressions of Piety

Sacred Treasures IV: Choral Masterworks, Quiet Prayers

Manufacturer: Hearts of Space
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Russia's Beautiful Religious Songs

ASIN: B000E5KU7E
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Tracks:

PART: O Weisheit
KEDROVE: Ochte Nash
VICTORIA: Jesu Dulcis Memoria
LAURIDSEN: Contre Qui, Rose
FAURE: Benedictus
CHRISTOV: Cherubic Hymn No 4
DURUFLE: In Paradisum
LAURIDSEN: O Nata Lux
FAURE: In Paradisum
LAURIDSEN: O Magnum Mysterium
PART: Spiegel Im Spiegel
PART: Pari Intervallo

Product Description

01. Part: O Weisheit
02. Kedrov: Otche Nash
03. Victoria: Jesu Dulcis
04. Lauridsen: Contre Qui, Rose
05. Faure: Benedictus Faure
06. Christov: Cherubic Hymn #4
07. Durufle: In Paradisum
08. Lauridsen: O Nata Lux
09. Faure: In Paradisum Faure
10. Lauridsen: OMM
11. Part: Spiegel Im Spiegel
12. Part: Pari Intervallo

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Sacred Treasures IV.......2007-02-23

This CD was disappointing. Number I in this series is my favorite. I wouldn't have bought this one if I could have sampled the selections before purchase.

Divine Beauty And Peace!.......2006-12-07

I am the producer of this CD and of "SACRED TREASURES:Choral Masterworks From Russia" as well as of "SACRED TREASURES III:Choral Masterworks From Russia and Beyond" and "CELTIC TWILIGHT 7: Sacred Spirit". In each case, my intention was to bring together the very best performances of exceptionally beautiful, slow and peaceful sacred music. The previous SACRED TREASURES compilations focus mainly on choral music from the Russian Orthodox tradition, while this compilation consists mainly of 20th century masterpieces from the Western tradition. However, it also includes two Orthodox pieces and one exquisite Renaissance piece. All the selections are deeply nourishing to the soul.

Different types of music serve different needs, and in today's stressful and fast-paced world, one of the most important and often neglected needs is for time out from that world--to "lay aside all earthly cares" (as the "Cherubic Hymn" on this CD prescribes) and to rest in a magical space of slow, peaceful, beauty. That peaceful beauty is available to you on all of these compilations, including this album, "SACRED TREASURES IV: Quiet Prayers"...

Music for Personal Relection and Prayer.......2006-05-14

Sacred Treasures IV is a beautiful tapestry of tonal prayers and a wonderful tool for quiet reflection. Each piece has been carefully selected for its text, musical texture, instrumentation and performance.The collection has much variety in these respects, incorporating a distinctly different setting of Our Father in a folk setting for women's voices, a secular setting from Morten Lauridsen's Poem Cycle: Le Chanson des Roses, as well as two instrumental pieces by Arvo Part. Still, a continuity of atmosphere and purpose gives the listener a sense of inner peace.

O Weisheit from Arvo Part's Seven Magnificat Antiphons, Jesu, Dulcis Memoria by Tomas Luis de Victoria, In Paradisum from Maurice Durufle's Requiem, O Nata Lux from Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna and Arvo Part's Spiegel im Spiegel are all highlights of the CD. These tracks, many of which are extracted from a larger work, combine to quiet the spirit and nurture the soul.

As with the others in the series, this CD is beautifully engineered and packaged to create another musical treasure for discerning listeners.

Stunning Musical Expressions of Piety.......2006-04-06

This CD is another fine offering in the "Sacred Treasures" series. Unlike many other compilations, the represented ensembles are some of the best in the world and each piece has been chosen with deliberation and care. This particular volume highlights the continuity of the sacred music tradition, reaching back to high craft of Renaissance Polyphony (Tom?s Luis de Victoria) to today's more contemporary composers such as P?rt and Lauridsen. From pieces as seemingly disparate as Kedrov's Russian Orthodox "Otche Nash" and Lauridsen's "Contre qui, Rose" the listener obtains the same sense of a very personal piety.

Although the CD implies choral masterworks, there are also two stunning instrumental offerings ("prayers without words") and not all of these "quiet prayers" are even sacred, as with the Lauridsen "Contre qui, Rose." Most of the pieces rely on subtlety of harmonic texture, as with the P?rt "O Weisheit" which rests upon a simple harmonic idea that travels through the ebb and flow of faithful prayer. Lauridsen's "Contre qui, Rose," features a beautiful Rilke text that is sacred in its own way and the composer carries his listeners through rich swells of choral texture, lifting them through waves of gentle dissonances, and setting them gently on the shores of cadence and consonance.

The Faur? "Benedictus" from the Messe Basse is a real treasure not only in that it is less-known than the famous Requiem, but this particular performance by the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter most aptly conveys the beauty and simplicity of Faur?'s sacred music.

The compilation features "classics" such as the "In Paradisum" from both the Durufl? and Faur? Requiems, as well as less common performances such as the "Otche Nash" performed by the distinctive Bulgarian women's choir, KITKA. Lauridsen's "O Nata Lux" and "O Magnum Mysterium" both communicate the sense of illuminating hope that is carried through each of the pieces on the CD.

The "quiet prayers" offered on this album are some of the richest and most beautiful representations of the sacred in music. It is refreshing to see such high quality ensembles and performers represented on a compilation CD, as well as such a varied sampling of repertoire. Far from being mere ear-candy, the pieces on the CD testify to music's ability to be the ultimate expression of faith.

Duruflé: Requiem Op.9/Messe Cum Jubilo,Op.11

Average customer rating:

A Magnificent Requiem
A Compassionate and Definitive Performance of the Durufle Requiem
Another win for Voices of Ascension
Well worth hearing
Etherial Bliss!

Duruflé: Requiem Op.9/Messe Cum Jubilo,Op.11
Maurice Duruflé , Dennis Keene , and François Le Roux
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000006ZS
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Requiem, Op. 9: Introit
Requiem, Op. 9: Kyrie
Requiem, Op. 9: Domine Jesu Christe
Requiem, Op. 9: Sanctus
Requiem, Op. 9: Pie Jesu
Requiem, Op. 9: Agnus Dei
Requiem, Op. 9: Lux aeterna
Requiem, Op. 9: Libera me
Requiem, Op. 9: In Paradisum
Messe 'Cum Jubilo,' Op. 11: Kyrie
Messe 'Cum Jubilo,' Op. 11: Gloria
Messe 'Cum Jubilo,' Op. 11: Sanctus
Messe 'Cum Jubilo,' Op. 11: Benedictus
Messe 'Cum Jubilo,' Op. 11: Agnus Dei
Notre Pere

Customer Reviews:

A Magnificent Requiem.......2007-03-18

Durufle is a composer who is new to me. I have really been missing something! Because my church choir was preparing a performance of this lovely and complex piece of music, I decided to familiarize myself with it, and I was well rewarded. Written in the 1940s, immediately after the end of World War II, this work harbors no bitterness towards the recent occupation, but speaks to the joy of salvation.

A Compassionate and Definitive Performance of the Durufle Requiem.......2006-04-14

Maurice Durufle's hauntingly beautiful Requiem remains a rara avis in the musical repertoire from the last century. A brilliant organist and fine composer, Durufle (1902 - 1986) left us with relatively few works for organ and voices - the Missa "Cum Jubilo", for baritone, baritone chorus, orchestra & organ, Op. 11 and the Notre P?re for male voices & organ, Op. 14 are included on this fine recording - but his Requiem remains one of the jewels of the 20th century composition. Unlike most other requiems the Durufle version is related to Gregorian chant and uses the organ as an important aspect of the fabric of the work. This is a work of compassion and solace and is one of the more mystical settings of the requiem mass ever composed.

The chief reason, then, for recommending this CD so highly is the performance of the Requiem with Dennis Keene conducting the Voices of Ascension Orchestra and Chorus ably assisted by Richard Locker, Patricia Spence, Mark Kruczek, and Kathleen Bride. Keene knows his way in and out and through this work, having studied with the Durufles and having performed the work countless times. His vision is clear and he guides the very beautiful Voices of Ascension Ensemble through a reading that is at once compassionate and mystically detached! That is a rare feat, but Keene's clear conducting and balances achieved with the organ, chorus and soloists is astonishingly fine.

While most classical music collectors doubtless have at least one recording of the Durufle Requiem in collection, this CD surpasses them all (yes, even the Robert Shaw version) and deserves a high position in the ranks of recorded choral works. Hearing it again during Holy Week adds an entirely new dimension to the appreciation of this truly excellent recording. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

Another win for Voices of Ascension.......2003-10-16

I have long held Voices of Ascension compilations in my collection (and my heart). My personal favorite is "From Chant to Renaissance", but this is a close second. While Durufle is likely considered a "modern" composer, he draws many of his themes in these pieces from traditional chants, then wraps them with modern phrasing that draws the traditional into today's world. It is a very satisfying and appealing melding of the past with curent voicing for those who are open to the intricacies of the strains.

I am not a formally trained choral musician, but love the art form and have worked with groups that have performed works from the traditional masters up through today's emerging composers. Consistently, the performances of the Voices of Ascension satisfy both the heart and the spirit.

Well worth hearing.......2003-05-30

A very good performance with a very good recording. The Requiem had more pace and, - dare I say it, - life about it than many other performances I've heard.

Etherial Bliss!.......2001-10-14

This recording of Durufle's masterpiece is hands down the best currently available. Written in the 20th century, Durufle can be considered the heir to Faure in a succession of French composers, however adds unique harmonies to medival plainchant melodies. The sound quality is supurb and the Voices of Ascention choir led by Dennis Keene sing with such a pure laser like focused sound reminescent of a boys choir.

Maestro Keene's phrasing and shaping of the chant melodies is remarkable.....the Kyrie fugue (2nd mvt) is no easy task to conduct, and Keene extracts brilliance from the thick fabric of polyphony.

Durufle revised three versions of his Requiem and all three versions are widely performed. The version on this disc consists of organ and a small chamber orchestra with limited brass. It is a more intimate setting which I believe showcases the organ (Durufle's instrument) and brings the organ to it's intended role without the extraneous woodwind section heard in the full orchestral version.

The In Paridisum (or final movement) is perhaps the best I've heard performed.....the organ chant melody heard in the final 5 bars is played as if the organist was singing the melody instead of playing it....this critical moment has been ignored and overlooked on other recordings (such as Michele Plasson's EMI 2000 release) in which the organ used is out of tune.

Also on this disc is the Missa Cum Jubilo for mens chorus, organ and small orchestra, which is performed beautifully.

Durulfe's literature consists of precious few compositions...only a handful of organ compositions, a requiem, the missa cum jubilo and 4 motets...his final composition Notre Pere (on this CD) is performed well too. It's a pity Durufle did not compose more.....his performance schedule while he was alive kept him from composing.

One final note, conductor Dennis Keene was a good friend of maestro Durufle and protege of Durufle's wife who herself was also a famous organ virtuoso who no doubt influenced Keene on many artistic decisions, so this recording can be considered to be a first hand interpretation from the composer himself.

Tracks:

Ave Maria, Op.59
Repentir
Panis Angelicus
La Procession
Ave Maria, Op.14
Pater Noster
1. Au Matin
2. A Midi
3. Au Soir
Pie Jesu
Ave Maria, Op.9
I. Psaume XXXIV
II. Psaume CXL
III. Psaume CXXXVIII
Priez Pour Paix
Oraison Dominicale
Fiat Domine
Magna Res Est Amor
Laudate Dominum

Customer Reviews:

Musique of the "Ralliement"..........2005-01-13

This is quite a nice disc of French music concerned with the "Ralliement": the resurgence of interest in Romish mysticism in the twilight years of the 19th Century and the early years of the 20th C.

This Ralliement roughly began with Baudelaire and continued with many of the artists, musicians, and writers of the Fin de Siecle and Belle Epoque.

Van Oosten is a great musician, and has selected some nice tracks for this disc.

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Hear My Prayer: Hymns and Anthems

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Faire Is The Heaven

ASIN: B000EQHS4Q
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Tracks:

Justorum Animae, Op.38, No.1
Magnificat
O God, Thou Art My God
Hear My Prayer
Cantique De Jean Racine, Op.11
No.1: Ubi Caritas Et Amor
God Is Gone Up, Op.27, No.2
And I Saw A New Heaven
Remember Not, O Lord
Laudate Dominum
Crucifixus
In Remembrance
Remember
Lux Aeterna
Panis Angelicus

Fauré: Requiem; Cantique de Jean Racine; Duruflé: Requiem; Quatre Motets

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Rum-Rum
Rumble rumble
Sublime versions and top class recordings.
Deceptive Durufle
Duruflés Requiem and original intentions.

Fauré: Requiem; Cantique de Jean Racine; Duruflé: Requiem; Quatre Motets

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert Shaw
Fauré · Duruflé - Requiem / J. Blegen · J. Morris · Atlanta SO · Shaw

ASIN: B00000420Y
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Requiem, Op. 48: Introit - Kyrie - Various Artists
Requiem, Op. 48: Offertoire - Various Artists
Requiem, Op. 48: III. Sanctus - Various Artists
Requiem, Op. 48: IV. Pie Jesu - Various Artists
Requiem, Op. 48: V. Agnus Dei - Various Artists
Requiem, Op. 48: VI. Libera me - Various Artists
Requiem, Op. 48: VII. In paradisum - Various Artists
Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 - Various Artists
Messe basse: : I. Kyrie - Various Artists
Messe basse: Sanctus - Various Artists
Messe basse: Benedictus - Various Artists
Messe basse: Agnus Dei - Various Artists
G Major: Kyrie - Various Artists
G Major: Gloria - Francis Poulenc
G Major: Sanctus - Francis Poulenc
G Major: Benedictus - Francis Poulenc
G Major: Agnus Dei - Francis Poulenc
Salve Regina - Francis Poulenc

Tracks:

Requiem: Introit--Kyrie - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: Domine Jesu Christe - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: Sanctus - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: Pie Jesu - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: Agnus Dei - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: Lux Aeterna - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: Libera me - Faure/Durufle
Requiem: In Paradisum - Faure/Durufle
Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain - Faure/Durufle
Quatre Motets: Ubi caritas et amor - Faure/Durufle
Quatre Motets: Tota pulchra es - Faure/Durufle
Quatre Motets: Tu es Petrus - Faure/Durufle
Quatre Motets: Tantum ergo Sacramentum - Faure/Durufle
Litanies a la Vierge Noire - Faure/Durufle
Exultate Deo - Faure/Durufle

Customer Reviews:

Rum-Rum.......2007-03-14

Any review of this recording that fails to mention the distracting background noise makes one wonder how closely the reviewer was listening. Throughout the Duruflé Requiem, there is a consistent noise that sounds like a needle stuck in a grove at the end of an old LP: "rum-rum, rum-rum, rum-rum..." While it is possible one might not hear it played back through speakers, it is impossible to miss through headphones.

As to the performance, I prefer the austere sound of the organ against the ethereal sounds of the chorus. My only reservation lies with the boy tremble, whose vocal output is unsteady, almost nervous sounding, as though he were being forced to sing. I don't think an idea performance with organ accompaniment exists, but this performance comes as close as any I have heard.

Rumble rumble.......2006-10-15

I just got this CD a few weeks ago because I wanted both the Faure and the Durufle. I'm not going to pick on anybody for supposed intonation problems (I listen to Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams regularly) or anything else. I really like the recordings of every piece I've heard on this CD set.

But has anybody else noticed some pretty major traffic noises during the Durufle Quatre Motets, specificall track 11? It sounds like they recorded next to a race track.

Outside of that, I think this set is a worthwhile investment.

Sublime versions and top class recordings........2006-09-03

This version of Durufle's Requiem is just mesmerizing, I have the Telarc, which is great... until you listen to this one.
Sound quality is top notch too for a seventies recording.

Deceptive Durufle.......2003-11-27

If one were to listen solely to the Faure Requiem and some of the other choral works on this 2 CD compilation, this would be a decent recording of great French choral music. However, as someone looking for a good recording of the Durufle, I was highly disappointed. Not only is the recording simply an organ reduction of full score, but the quality of singing was below what one would expect to find on a CD from a major label. Marked by under-developed techniques and inconsistencies in pitch, the recording is good if you need to learn the work in a hurry, but little else. If you're in the market for a Faure recording, this will do the job and you can preview the Durufle, but look elsewhere for a serious recording of such a rich work.

Duruflés Requiem and original intentions........2003-02-02

Both Duruflé and Fauré wrote their Requiems for choir and organ first. The orchestrations were afterthoughts bending to the excesses of public appeal and publishers demands. Both works can be wonderful with orchestra and on this CD you will find, as usual with St. Martin in the Fields, a beautiful recording of the Fauré Requem with orchestra. However, on this CD you will find the Duruflé Requiem in the original choir and organ only version, and this, in my opinion, is not only the preferable way to listen to the work - in it's original casting, but this performance is the best around with a most lush and complex tone from the trebles in the boy choir.

Choral Works : Copland, Durufle, Taverner, Vaughan Williams, Messiaen/Tallis

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Choral Works : Copland, Durufle, Taverner, Vaughan Williams, Messiaen/Tallis
Norman MacKenzie , Branda Pruitt , Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus , Donna Carter , Pam Elrod , Gerard Sundberg , Timothy W. Gunter , Aaron Copland , Maurice Durufle , Olivier Messiaen , Thomas Tallis , John Tavener , Ralph Vaughan Williams , Anne-Marie Spalinger , Arietha Lockhart , Rachel Stewart , Jeffrey Baxter [text translation] , Atlanta Symphony Orchestra , and Atlanta Symphony Chorus
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD