Search - Maurice Durufle, Westminster Cathedral Choir, Simon Keenlyside :: Duruflé: Requiem; Mass 'Cum Jubilo'

An unusual account, well worth hearing

Samer T Ismail | Danbury, CT | 11/20/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Duruflé left three versions of his Requiem and Messe cum Jubilo--for organ with full orchestra, for organ with chamber orchestra, and for organ "alone" (all three versions feature a cello solo in the "Pie Jesu"). It is the organ-only version recorded here.While the organ-only versions of these works are not my personal favorite, this recording makes a very strong case: while some of the orchestral details must be lost--more so in the Requiem than the Mass--the basic thrust remains, and the constant presence of the organ gives the work a more "ethereal" quality than the other two versions. Incredibly, the central "Pie Jesu" solo loses little in giving the role to a treble, rather than Duruflé's preferred contralto, and Natalie Clein's cello solo is excellently played and recorded.However, it is Simon Keenlyside's singing that crowns the work--his singing in the solos of both works are absolutely the best I've heard, and he pulls off the high ossia in the Messe Cum Jubilo effortlessly.The "Four Motets on Gregorian Themes" and "Notre Père" are an added bonus. In all, this is a highly welcome disc."

An outstanding performance from almost every standpoint.

Samer T Ismail | 07/06/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Durufle's Requiem is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and moving 20th Century works ever composed. The work is awesome in every standpoint as is much of this recording. The Westminster boy's choir has a gorgeous sound, I admit, but I do have several complaints. Durufle composed to versions of this work, one with orchestra, and one with organ. The latter is recorded here. While I have nothing against organ, I feel that it fails to have the dynamic intensity of a full orchestra. With that in mind, this is still an awesome achievement."

Technically accurate, but . . .

pava | Independence, MO USA | 03/19/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There's no passion, no ethereal mystery, no angel-kissed phrasing here. Duruflé was French, after all, born in the height of the Impressionist period. This Requiem must be performed with authoritative delicacy--with images of lofty, wispy cirrus clouds--as well as with full-bodied sonority as rich as dark chocolate truffles. More than music, any effective Requiem must also be a worship experience, and one should be able to feel like the musicians are connected with faith, so that both they and the listener have one hand reaching into heaven. Adult singers are more likely to have the maturity and life exposure necessary to understand and convey the blended message of grief and hope far better than the children on this CD.While the Westminster choir is faithful to the notes, it lacks the sparkle and conviction of the text that is essential to a first-class rendition. The uneven pronunciation is glaring to the experienced ear: one lad grossly splatters "sanctus" with an American-spread "a"; voiced consonants (l, m, n, for example) steal prematurely from the vowels, adding to the minced, munched quality of the musical line; gratingly diphthonged vowels abound, even in the solo Pie Jesu ("Pi-e-i Je-i-su"); frequently overblown diction destroys the musical line--the bright, chewed "pleni sunt coeli" in the Sanctus sounds like boys slogging through deep puddles in galoshes, while the beginning of nearly every "sanctus" is attacked so vigorously, it gives the impression that someone just kicked the boys in the backside. These entrances should be lifted out of the soul rather than punched in the gut. Add to that many lifeless, flat-lined phrases, individual voices jutting out of the choral texture, and muddy organ voicing (this may depend on audio equipment quality), and the most compassionate choice is to let this recording pass into history as quickly and with as little fanfare as possible.Duruflé's Requiem deserves to be in every choral enthusiast's audio library. Much more heart-filled, artistic performances are available with the Robert Shaw Chorale, the Voices of Ascension, the Paris Audite Nova Choir, or one of the other versions buried deeper in the Amazon search listing. If you prefer straight-toned boys' voices to female timbres, Christopher Robinson and the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge, offer a more balanced and musically satisfying presentation."