Faure, Bach, Tenebrae, Nigel Short - Faure Requiem / JS Bach Partita, Chorales & Ciaconna

Published Monday 11th March 2013
Faure, Bach, Tenebrae, Nigel Short - Faure Requiem / JS Bach Partita, Chorales & Ciaconna
Faure, Bach, Tenebrae, Nigel Short - Faure Requiem / JS Bach Partita, Chorales & Ciaconna

STYLE: Choral
RATING 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 136758-
LABEL: LSO Live
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

We have no doubt that any collection of classical choral music of a Christian persuasion must include Faure's Requiem although we recognise that there are several excellent candidates from which to choose; this recent release on the LSO Live label may prove to be another to consider. During the 2011 City of London Festival, Tenebrae joined a chamber ensemble from the London Symphony Orchestra at St Paul's Cathedral for a performance of Faure's Requiem. This popular work favours serenity, joy and liberation over the dread and terror employed by many composers in settings of the Mass of the Dead. By adopting a more comforting approach he crafted music of great beauty, in particular the "Pie Jesu". Faure's Requiem fits comfortably on a vinyl LP but leaves purchasers of it on CD feeling short-changed. However on this mid-priced release the "filler" deserves equal billing and, indeed, we would be happy to argue for giving the Bach top billing. Here we get a selection of his chorales interspersed with his Partita in D minor, performed by Gordan Nikolitch, leader of the LSO followed by a reconstruction of Bach's "Ciaconna", highlighting the hidden chorale themes within this fascinating work. Since its release this SACD has been universally applauded with 'Gramophone' making it the preferred Faure Requiem on disc and Classic FM listing it as one of the albums of 2012. When we add the fact that this is a mid-price release there is absolutely no reason for us not to concur and award it ten squares.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.