The Requiem, op. 9, by Maurice Duruflé was commissioned in 1947 by the French music publisher Durand and is written in memory of the composer's father. The work is for mixed choir with mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists. It exists in three orchestrations: one for organ alone, one for organ with string orchestra, and one for organ and full orchestra.
At the time the commission arrived, Duruflé was working on an organ suite using themes from Grego...
more
The Requiem, op. 9, by Maurice Duruflé was commissioned in 1947 by the French music publisher Durand and is written in memory of the composer's father. The work is for mixed choir with mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists. It exists in three orchestrations: one for organ alone, one for organ with string orchestra, and one for organ and full orchestra.
At the time the commission arrived, Duruflé was working on an organ suite using themes from Gregorian chants. Duruflé incorporated his sketches for that work into the Requiem, which uses many themes from the Gregorian "Mass for the Dead." Nearly all the thematic material in the work comes from chant.
The work is set in nine movements. Interestingly, the Dies irae text, perhaps the most famous portion of the Requiem mass, is not set. Duruflé's omission of this text and inclusion of others from the burial service (e.g. In Paradisum) makes the composition calmer and more meditative than some other settings.
In the full score, the fifth...
less
