 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
N.B. Bella Sept 24, 2002
Dress Rehearsal date has been set: Thursday, December 5 at St. Paul's Episcopal in Oakland.
Practice Tapes We have a source for practice tapes: http://sfo.mypiano.com/choral_rehearsal_tapes.htm. They are $10 each, including postage. Sign up in the back & we'll send in one big order.
More about the Music; Duruflé Requiem Part I
The text of the Requiem Mass has inspired composers since the High Renaissance. Polyphonic settings of the "Mass for the Dead" became a normal part of many respectable composers' oeuvres from the days of Ockeghem. This tradition continued for centuries, including the well-known settings by Mozart and Berlioz. Berlioz first made the Requiem a work of truly monstrous proportions, a tradition followed by Verdi, Dvorák, and many lesser-known composers like Charles Villiers Stanford. These compositions accentuate the darker, infernal side of death, as often illustrated by the intense drama of the "Dies irae" section, boldly proclaiming the approach of a horrid judgment day. At the height of the Requiem's compositional popularity, Gabriel Fauré defied this tradition by emphasizing a tender, even comforting aspect of death, interpreting it as a departure from this troubled world and a hopeful arrival in a place of peace and eternal rest. He went so far as to eliminate the "Dies irae" text from his musical setting, and indeed one might say that this is the first Requiem which truly lives up to its literal title. Thus Fauré single-handedly established a new and uniquely French method to view this historically dreary tradition.
In this environment, the French publishing company Durand in 1947 commissioned Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986), a respected composer and virtuoso organist, to compose a choral-orchestral Requiem Mass. As he had already begun to write an organ suite based on Gregorian chant themes, Duruflé incorporated this work into the commission. The result was the composer's first choral work: a Requiem completely unique in its application of medieval melody, modern orchestration, and comforting treatment of the subject matter. Duruflé changed the instrumentation for three arrangements of the work. Each of these versions includes a mixed choir, and the composer often said that he preferred the baritone and mezzo-soprano solos to be sung by the entire choral section.
Read the full text of this article at http://www.gdcannon.org/durufle.html
Upcoming Musical Events:
Saturday November 9 Gala Benefit Recital at the Crowden School featuring Matthew Lawrence Edwards, Marcelle Dronkers, Richard Mix, Clarence Wright, Asher Davison. (Tickets on sale now).
Now available! Matthew's long-awaited CD: a live recording of two romantic masterpieces: the Schubert Sonata in A, Op. Posth.(written in the final year of Schubert's life), and the Brahms Sonata in F minor, Op. 5, dating from the composer's 20th year, his first great masterpiece. These recordings are from two different recitals at Old First Church, San Francisco: The Schubert Sonata from a 1989 recital and the Brahms from a 2002 recital. Get them while they last! (only $15), see Matthew for details.
Remember, if you forget to pick up Nota at rehearsal, we post them @ http://www.bellamusica.org/nota