Duruflé: Requiem

NDR Vokalensemble / Thomas Cornelius / Klaas Stok – Hamburg International Music Festival

This concert has already taken place! 28
This concert has already taken place! 28
NDR Vokalensemble
NDR Vokalensemble © Marius Engels / NDR
Klaas Stok
Klaas Stok © Hans van der Woerd

Not many works of the 20th century are as commonplace on concert programmes today as the music of Maurice Duruflé, who died in 1986. His sacred vocal music in particular enjoys enduring popularity, no doubt due to its catchy tonal language.

Duruflé had little interest in breaking with tradition; in his Requiem of 1947, he explored the model of Gabriel Fauré, two generations his senior, and gave free rein to his enthusiasm for Gregorian chant. Nevertheless, the work is not backward-looking: in contrast to the operatic settings of the requiem mass in the 19th century, Duruflé focussed less on the agony of the Last Judgement and more on redemption in the afterlife.

The second of three versions of the Requiem will be performed at the Kulturkirche Altona. Duruflé – probably surprised himself by the great success of his work – transferred the lavish orchestration to the organ soon after the premiere.

Performers

NDR Vokalensemble

Thomas Cornelius organ

director Klaas Stok

Programme

Marcel Dupré
O salutaris / aus: Quatre Motets op. 9

Maurice Duruflé
Quatre motets sur des thèmes grégoriens op. 10
Requiem, Op. 9

Pre-Concert Talk

with Christian Münch-Cordellier (in German)

17:00 / Kulturkirche Altona

Festival

Hamburg International Music Festival

Promoter: NDR

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