The Classical Music Book

210

I WANTED TO

DO SOMETHING

DIFFERENT

REQUIEM (1887–1890), GABRIEL FAURÉ

I

t is unlikely that Fauré wrote

his Requiem in direct response

to the death of any individual,

although the recent deaths of his

parents may have focused his mind

on the project. The composer stated

that his main motivation was to

produce an original requiem. He

was familiar with the form having

spent years as a choirmaster and

organist, during which he had

accompanied numerous funerals.

The differences began with the

text. Fauré set a shortened version

of the Latin Mass for the Dead,

omitting, among other passages,

the Sequence section, with its

passage on the Dies Irae (Wrath

of God), which so many previous

composers had used as an

opportunity to produce loud and

dramatic music. This was replaced

in Fauré’s first version of the score

by a setting of Pie Jesu, a prayer to

Jesus for everlasting rest, at the

end of which he also added an

IN CONTEXT

FOCUS

Requiem Mass

BEFORE

1837 Hector Berlioz composes

his Grande Messe des morts

(Requiem), for a large choir,

enormous orchestra, and four

offstage brass ensembles.

1874 Verdi’s operatic Requiem,

for four vocal soloists, double

choir, and orchestra, has its

first performance.

AFTER

1913 Fauré’s opera Pénélope is

premiered. While the influence

of Wagner is more apparent

than in earlier works, it still

has an understated quality.

1948 Maurice Duruflé

completes his Requiem,

which, like Fauré’s, includes

the Pie Jesu, Libera me, and

In paradisum sections.

Fauré plays the piano at the home

of the Catalan composer Isaac Albéniz

(right). With them is the Belgian

composer and conductor Léon Jehin

and Albéniz’s pupil Clara Sansoni.

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