Fauré: Requiem (1888)

The Requiem, which was 'composed for no particular purpose', as Gabriel Fauré wrote, was premiered on January 16, 1888, at the Église de la Madeleine in Paris 'for the funeral of a parishioner'. This original performance version, excluding the "Offertorium" and the "Libera me" and accompanied only by a string ensemble (violas, cellos, and double bass), organ, and harp, is presented here in a world premiere recording. The "Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville" (1881), composed in Normandy in collaboration with André Messager, is far removed from the festivities of the great Parisian church; its original version was written for women's voices with harmonium and violin accompaniment. On the occasion of the centenary of Gabriel Fauré's death in 1924, the Chœur de Chambre de Namur invites listeners to return to these origins.