Requiem (Fauré)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Requiem op. 48 by Gabriel Fauré is a composition for soprano - and baritone - soloists , four- to six-part choir and orchestra .

Fauré completed the composition of his Requiem - his only major work based on a religious text - in 1887 at the age of 42. He wrote the work between the death of his father (1885) and that of his mother (1887). It was first performed on January 16, 1888 in Paris's La Madeleine for the funeral of a famous Parisian architect. The choir consisted of only about 30 singers (20-25 boys and 8-10 men), the instrumental line-up consisted only of split violas , cellos , double bass , solo violin , harp , timpani and organ .

In the course of the following years Fauré created a second version with a larger cast. a. Winds are considered. Its premiere took place in 1900 on the occasion of the Paris World's Fair in front of around 5000 listeners. The requiem was also given at Fauré's funeral (1924).

A performance lasts about 35 minutes. The sentence sequence is:

  1. Introit et Kyrie
  2. Offertory ( Domine Jesu Christe )
  3. Sanctus
  4. Pie of Jesus
  5. Agnus Dei
  6. Responsory ( Libera me )
  7. In paradisum

Fauré's Requiem differs from the traditional mass for the dead in several ways. In contrast to the traditional course of the mass, and in particular to the compositions by Hector Berlioz and Giuseppe Verdi , Fauré dispenses with a dramatic representation of the Dies irae and limits himself to the setting of its last verse, the Pie Jesu . However, he added that in paradisum from the Exequien added that traditionally in the transfer of the body of the church to the cemetery heard. Overall, it was Fauré's concern to paint a peaceful picture of death. In many passages, minor sounds from the choir and orchestra slide into atmospheric major chords and give a comforting sense of heaven.

structure

The following table shows the structure of the composition in its movements and sections, in particular the parts, key , time signature and tempo designation . The parts are abbreviated, S for soprano , A for alto , T for tenor , B for bass . The composer divides the choir into up to six voices, SATTBB, but often uses unison , sometimes for one choral part, sometimes for several. The offertoire was originally only intended for solos and was only provided for choral parts in later versions.

No. title solo Choir key Tact tempo Text reference annotation
1 Introit et Kyrie
Requiem aeternam SATTBB D minor 4/4 largo 1a)
Requiem aeternam T Andante moderato 1a)
Te decet hymn S. 1b)
Exaudi SATTBB 1c)
Kyrie SATB 1d) initially SATB in unison
2 Offertoire
O domine ATB B minor 4/4 Adagio molto 2a)
Hostias B. 3/4 Andante moderato 2 B)
O domine SATB 4/4 Adagio molto 2a)
Amen SATB B major 2c)
3 Sanctus S TB E flat major 3/4 Andante moderato 3a) T and B in unison
4th Pie of Jesus S. B flat major 4/4 adagio 4a)
5 Agnus Dei et Lux aeterna
Agnus Dei T F major 3/4 Andante 5a)
Agnus Dei SATB 5b)
Agnus Dei T 5c)
Lux aeterna SATTBB 5d)
Requiem aeternam SATTBB D minor 4/4 adagio 5e) at first like a reprise of the beginning
- tacet D major 3/4 Andante 5f)
6th Libera me
Libera me B. D minor 4/4 Moderato 6a)
Tremens SATB 6b)
Dies irae SATB 6/4 Più mosso 6c)
Luceat ice cream FROM alla breve Moderato 6d) unison
Libera me SATB alla breve Moderato 6e) in unison, like the soloist at the beginning
Libera me B. SATB alla breve Moderato 6f)
7th In Paradisum
In Paradisum S. D major 3/4 Andante moderato 7a)
Jerusalem SATTBB D major 3/4 Andante moderato 7b)
Chorus angelorum S. D major 3/4 Andante moderato 7c)
requiem SATTBB D major 3/4 Andante moderato 7d)

Texts

1a) Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine et lux perpetua luceat eis.
(Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and the everlasting light shine on them.)
1b) Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion: et tibi redetur votum in Jerusalem
(Praise be to you, God in Zion, you are being fulfilled in Jerusalem.)
1c) Exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis caro veniet
(Hear my prayer; all flesh comes to you.)
1d) Kyrieeleison, Christeeleison, Kyrieeleison
(Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.)
2a) O domine Jesu Christe, rex gloriae, libera animas defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu. O domine Jesu Christe, rex gloriae, libera animas defunctorum de ore leonis ne absorbeat tartarus. O domine Jesu Christe, rex gloriae ne cadant in obscurum
(Oh Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, keep the souls of the dead from the torments of Hell and from the depths of the underworld. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, keep the souls of the dead from the jaws of the lion that hell do not devour them. Oh Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, do not let them fall into the darkness.)
2b) Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus: tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam, quam olim Abrahæ promisisti et semini eius.
(We bring offerings and prayers to you, Lord, accept them for those souls whom we remember today. Give, Lord, that they may come from death to life, what was once promised to Abraham and his descendants.)
2c) Amen
(Amen)
3a) Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Plenary sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.
(Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Hosanna on high.)
4a) Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem, sempiternam requiem
(Kind Jesus, Lord, give them rest, eternal rest.)
5a) Agnus Dei, qui tollis pecata mundi, dona eis requiem
(Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, give them rest.)
5b) Agnus Dei, qui tollis pecata mundi, dona eis requiem
(Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, give them rest.)
5c) Agnus Dei, qui tollis pecata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam requiem,
(Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, give them rest, eternal rest.)
5d) Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum quia pius es.
(May the eternal light shine on them, Lord, with your saints forever, for you are mild.)
5e) Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine et lux perpetua luceat e-.
(Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and let the everlasting light shine on them-)
5f) -is (only one note sung, the rest instrumental)
(-nen.)
6a) Libera me domine, de morte aeterna, in the illa tremenda, quando coeli movendi sunt et terra, dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
(Deliver me, Lord, from eternal death on that day of terror where heaven and earth shake, when you come to judge the world by fire.)
6b) Tremens factus sum ego et timeo, dum discussio venerit adque ventura ira
(I am overcome with tremors and fear, for the account is near and the anger looming.)
6c) Dies illa, dies irae calamitatis et miseriae, dies illa, dies magna et amara valde. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine et lux perpetua luceat e-
(Day of sin, day of wrath, calamity and misery, day of sin, day so great and so bitter. Grant them eternal rest, Lord, and the everlasting light shine on them)
6d) -is luceat ice cream.
(light them up)
6e) Libera me domine, de morte aeterna, in the illa tremenda, quando coeli movendi sunt et terra, dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.
(Deliver me, Lord, from eternal death on that day of terror where heaven and earth shake, when you come to judge the world by fire.)
6f) Libera me domine, de morte aeterna, libera me domine.
(Deliver me, Lord, from eternal death. Deliver me, Lord.)
7a) In paradisum deducant angeli in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres et perducant te in civitatem sanctam
(May the angels lead you to paradise, on your arrival the martyrs receive you and lead you to the holy city)
7b) Jerusalem
(Jerusalem.)
7c) Chorus angelorum te suscipiat et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem.
(May the choir of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once poor, may you have eternal rest)
7d) Requiem aeternam habeas, requiem.
(You should have eternal rest, rest)

Trivia

After the premiere in the La Madeleine church , the local vicar asked him who had done the work. Fauré took courage and confessed that it was from him. The vicar replied that he shouldn't do that, that there was enough literature so that his work was not needed.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Stegemann, Olaf Wilhelmer: Death without a sting - The Requiem by Gabriel Fauré . Deutschlandradio , April 6, 2012, accessed on May 5, 2012.