Live Music Venues Indianapolis

Fauré’s Requiem: La berceuse de mort *

Orchestras around the world perform Requiem masses quite regularly as part of their season.  Apart from orchestral works based on love, heroism or nature, the Requiem Mass seems to be one of the very few genres that concentrate on a particular event in a person’s life: death.  What intrigues us is how each composer utilizes the same liturgical texts from the mass proper but applies it differently in the music.

Without going into a history of each composer’s philosophies on life and death, consider for a moment the differences (and occasionally stark similarities) between three of the most well-known Requiem masses: Mozart, Verdi and Brahms.  Some may remember recent performances by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir of the Mozart (January 2006), Verdi (June 2008) and Brahms (May 2007) Requiems, all of which have had modest success at the box office.  Perhaps we love the heart-wrenching climaxes of Mozart’s Lacrimosa (“Tears”), the fever-inducing bass drum blasts of Verdi’s frightening Dies Irae (“Day of Wrath”), or the dramatic urgency of Brahms’ Denn wir haben hier keine bleibende Statt (“For here we have no continuing place”).  While Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (based on German texts from the Lutheran Bible, and not from the traditional Latin mass) is known for its compassion toward those whom are still living, other Requiems relish in the dramatic and formidable aspect of death.

The Requiem of Gabriel Fauré (pronounced “4-A”), on the other hand, is one of optimism, peace and humanity.

Fauré himself was a quiet, gentle and sincere man, and his Requiem portrays this beautifully.  It is written, not as a blatant reminder of death, but rather, as Fauré himself put it, “a joyful deliverance, an aspiration towards a happiness beyond the grave, rather than as a painful experience.”  As one who directed the music of countless funerals, Fauré wished to create something different.  His Requiem would soothe those who mourn, a gentle reminder that death is another part of life and should not be met with fear.

For those readers unfamiliar with the work, here’s what to listen for. 

Sanctus (Holy): A glorious and resounding movement featuring melodic lines by the violins interwoven with the vocal entrances.  (Note that this is the first movement which features the violins; only the lower strings were used in first two movements.)  Its rising climax “Hosanna in excelsis!” is triumphant, yielding a simple yet powerful declaration by the horns, accompanied by full orchestral accompaniment including organ.  This occurs at 1:50 in the following clip. 

Pie Jesu (Kind Lord Jesus): A beautifully simple movement for solo soprano and one of the most well-known in the repertory.  The premiere performance of the Requiem featured a boy soprano in this solo role, but only because women were not allowed to sing in the choir of that venue.  In subsequent performances, Fauré preferred a female soprano sing the role, due to its difficult breathing passages, long phrasing and difficult interval leaps.  This weekend this movement is sung by soprano and IU alumna Jacqueline Brecheen.  Listen here.  

Agnus Dei (Lamb of God): This movement features a very beautiful yet simple transition of tonality as the sopranos enter alone on the note “C” on the word “lux” (“light”), shifting the character into a hymn until its climax with full orchestra. (In this clip, begin listening around 2 minutes)

Libera Me Domine (Deliver Us, Lord):  This is the second of the two movements that feature the baritone solo (this weekend performed by Hugh Russell), and is perhaps the most somber of the Requiem.  It is also the movement that includes the ill-fated Dies Irae (Day of Wrath), which Fauré was hesitant to include, but was obliged by the local diocese.  Clearly announced by the sinister register of the horns, the Dies Irae is understandably dark but quite brief, but quickly rises itself up out of the depths with unison choir with a return of the main theme sung quietly by the choir. Listen here.  

In Paradisum (In Paradise): The final and most cherubic of the Requiem.  The organ provides a gentle lulling with accompanying muted strings, closing the Requiem into a peaceful serenity. Listen here.

Fauré was not a religious man, but seemed to have understood life’s journey in a very optimistic and simplistic manner.  Through his Requiem, he assures the listener that there is nothing to fear at the end of life, and that perhaps a more peaceful existence awaits us.


* I chose the French translation to honor Fauré’s gentle masterpiece, but also because “Lullaby of Death” in English sounds too depressing…

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Please join us this weekend to hear Fauré’s Requiem, along with Mahler’s Songs of the Wayfarer (featuring Hugh Russell) and Dvořák Symphony No. 7 ~ this Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, featuring the ISO debut of Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen.

www.indianapolissymphony.org