Search - Faure, Herreweghe, La Chapelle Royale :: Requiem / Messe Des Pecheurs

The original and best ?

quia-nihil-sum | Inverness,Scotland. | 11/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Faure's lovely and beloved setting of the Requiem Mass is probably best known to most people through the full orchestral score of 1901,and although in this form it is perfectly entrancing and bewitching,it has long been known that Faure wasn't that heavily involved in it's preparation:perhaps merely giving the nod to his publisher who wanted to make the work more of a going concern by marketing it as a fully scaled up concert hall entity.Therefore,how refreshing it is to get right back to the basics of the masterpiece's genesis of 1887,and it's eventual coalescence to paradisiacal completion by 1894.We have the distinguished musicologist Jean-Michel Nectoux to thank for his detective work in uncovering the previously unknown source material,which,with the assistance of the conductor Roger Delage he has prepared for use in this revelatory recording.The resulting performance under the sensitive and tender direction of Philippe Herreweghe simply oozes with a refined spirituality and cool,clear clarity of style that is absolutely captivating,and I'm sure that like me,you will soon come to regard this wonderful CD as a cherished cornerstone of your collection.I've lived with it for nearly a decade now,and I love it as much today as I did then.In fact,I've only just bought a second copy of it,even though the original still plays perfectly well.Basically,I simply hate the thought of been without this disc even for a day,and so I'm keeping the replacement on imminent "standby" should a fault ever arise in that venerable old treasure !To my ears almost nothing is really sacrificed or lost by paring away all these later additions of the turn of the last century.Granted some of the grandeur and drama is somewhat diluted,but that's not a criticism on my part at all.After all there is no law that says you have to restrict yourself to just one version of this gorgeous work,and I should know,because I once owned 8 (!) separate performances at one time,and they ALL had marvellous things to say to me.So why not indulge yourself too,and buy two or three different interpretations,and alternate them as your mood dictates--it's always worked for me !Anyway,back to the outstanding qualities of this particular record:those sparser instrumental textures are brilliantly executed by the ladies and gentlemen of the Ensemble Musique Oblique,and special mention for the horns who come into greater prominence now in places like the mesmeric "Hostias" where they provide a lovely burnished accompaniment to Peter Kooys fine baritone solo,and also in the "In Paradisum" where they further enchance already heavenly textures.Agnes Mellon will be a name that you will soon come to venerate once you have heard her stunningly,radiant "Pie Jesu".She has a soprano voice of a rare child-like innocence that you will take immediately to heart,and her performance is one to rank alongside the greatest;and sometimes I really feel her's is the best of all.Talking about child-like innocence,I couldn't not mention the charming contribution of the "Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Louis" (even their Choir's name deserves a round of applause !).They are used to reinforce the upper voices in the splendid adult choir of La Chapelle Royale Paris,and they really do take an already otherworldy and ethereal Choral element into even higher planes of celestial sweetness and light.What an inspired choice for a coupling to the main item is the deliciously blithe and bonny,"Messe des Pecheurs de Villerville" that Faure co-wrote with Andre Messager in 1881,as a kind of charitable contribution to a fund supporting these eponymous Normandy fishermen.There is some lovely sunny and unpretentiously engaging music to be enjoyed here,and I found myself really taken with Messager's excellent writing for the strings in his "Kyrie" and "O Salutaris".He more than holds his own against his blessed colleague,and I'm sure will send you off on a tangent to explore his other compositions.It won't be a wasted journey--let me tell you that for nothing.I could go and on about the further desirability of this magical CD from Harmonia Mundi way past the 1000 word limit of the review strictures,but instead of trying yours and Amazon's patience,I'll sign off by saying that there are many,many performances of this Heavenly masterpiece that will enchant and beguile you,without a shadow of a doubt,but this is one of the few that succeed in transcending that elusive barrier between entertainment and ecstasy.Don't you rest until this superb CD is safely sepulchered on your shelves !"

SIMPLY ENTHRALLING

MOVIE MAVEN | New York, NY USA | 07/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I already own a copy of Faure's ravishing "Requiem" (Dutoit conducting Te Kanawa & Milnes with the Montreal Symphony on London) but after listening to Herreweghe's truly superb Bach recordings, I wanted to see what his approach to more "modern" music would be. I have only had the Herreweghe in my home for two full weeks but have listened to it over one dozen times. It is simply enthralling: everything about it, from the cover art, to the essays, to the choice of a companion piece for the "Requiem" (Faure & Messager's "Mass of the Villerville Fishermen")to the superb chorus and soloists (no starry names here) and orchestra. This is a recording to treasure."