Gabriel Fauré - Requiem Opus 48 // 8 p.m

Fauré completed the composition of hisrequiems- his only major work based on a religious text - in 1887 at the age of 42. He wrote the work between the deaths of his father (1885) and his mother (1887). It was first published on January 16, 1888 in ParisLa Madeleinefor the architect's annual commemorationJoseph Michel Le Soufachelisted. The choir comprised only about 30 singers (20-25 boys and 8-10 men), the instrumental cast consisted only of divided onesviolas,cellos,double bass, Soloviolin,harp,crammingandorgan. 

In the years that followed, Fauré created a second version with a larger cast, including wind instruments. Its premiere took place in 1900 on the occasion of theParis world exhibitionin front of around 5000 listeners. Therequiemwas also given at Fauré's funeral (1924).

Due to the current situation, we have decided not to use an orchestra in favor of a piano version.

Fauré's Requiem deviates from the traditional mass for the dead in a number of ways. Contrary to the traditional course of the Mass, and in particular to the compositions ofHector BerliozandGiuseppe Verdi, Fauré dispenses with a dramatizing depiction of theThis iraeand is limited to the setting of his last verse, thePie Jesu. On the other hand, he addedIn paradisefrom thefuneraladded, the traditional at thetransferof the corpse of theChurchfor theCemeterysounds. Overall, Fauré was concerned with drawing a peaceful picture of death. In many passages, the minor sounds of the choir and orchestra slide into atmospheric major chords and give a comforting glimpse of heaven.