Customer Reviews

The Durufle Album: Requiem; Messe Cum Jubilo

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This recording of Durufle's masterpiece is hands down the best currently available. Written in the 20th century, Durufle can be considered the heir to Faure in a succession of French composers, however adds unique harmonies to medival plainchant melodies. The sound quality is supurb and the Voices of Ascention choir led by Dennis Keene sing with such a pure laser like focused sound reminescent of a boys choir.

Maestro Keene's phrasing and shaping of the chant melodies is remarkable.....the Kyrie fugue (2nd mvt) is no easy task to conduct, and Keene extracts brilliance from the thick fabric of polyphony.

Durufle revised three versions of his Requiem and all three versions are widely performed. The version on this disc consists of organ and a small chamber orchestra with limited brass. It is a more intimate setting which I believe showcases the organ (Durufle's instrument) and brings the organ to it's intended role without the extraneous woodwind section heard in the full orchestral version.

The In Paridisum (or final movement) is perhaps the best I've heard performed.....the organ chant melody heard in the final 5 bars is played as if the organist was singing the melody instead of playing it....this critical moment has been ignored and overlooked on other recordings (such as Michele Plasson's EMI 2000 release) in which the organ used is out of tune.

Also on this disc is the Missa Cum Jubilo for mens chorus, organ and small orchestra, which is performed beautifully.

Durulfe's literature consists of precious few compositions...only a handful of organ compositions, a requiem, the missa cum jubilo and 4 motets...his final composition Notre Pere (on this CD) is performed well too. It's a pity Durufle did not compose more.....his performance schedule while he was alive kept him from composing.

One final note, conductor Dennis Keene was a good friend of maestro Durufle and protege of Durufle's wife who herself was also a famous organ virtuoso who no doubt influenced Keene on many artistic decisions, so this recording can be considered to be a first hand interpretation from the composer himself.

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Requiems of many composers tend to run from one extreme to another. Either they are powerhouse epics meant to celebrate the departed or they are morose journeys into the darkness of the afterlife. Durufle has found a middle ground that evokes a vision of death that is ethereal and spiritual. There a moments of musical perfection, especially in the first movement and the blending of chant with the harmonics of 20th century composition make for a blend that will be heaven to the ears.

Maurice Durufle's hauntingly beautiful Requiem remains a rara avis in the musical repertoire from the last century. A brilliant organist and fine composer, Durufle (1902 - 1986) left us with relatively few works for organ and voices - the Missa "Cum Jubilo", for baritone, baritone chorus, orchestra & organ, Op. 11 and the Notre P?re for male voices & organ, Op. 14 are included on this fine recording - but his Requiem remains one of the jewels of the 20th century composition. Unlike most other requiems the Durufle version is related to Gregorian chant and uses the organ as an important aspect of the fabric of the work. This is a work of compassion and solace and is one of the more mystical settings of the requiem mass ever composed.

The chief reason, then, for recommending this CD so highly is the performance of the Requiem with Dennis Keene conducting the Voices of Ascension Orchestra and Chorus ably assisted by Richard Locker, Patricia Spence, Mark Kruczek, and Kathleen Bride. Keene knows his way in and out and through this work, having studied with the Durufles and having performed the work countless times. His vision is clear and he guides the very beautiful Voices of Ascension Ensemble through a reading that is at once compassionate and mystically detached! That is a rare feat, but Keene's clear conducting and balances achieved with the organ, chorus and soloists is astonishingly fine.

While most classical music collectors doubtless have at least one recording of the Durufle Requiem in collection, this CD surpasses them all (yes, even the Robert Shaw version) and deserves a high position in the ranks of recorded choral works. Hearing it again during Holy Week adds an entirely new dimension to the appreciation of this truly excellent recording. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

This Delos recording, conducted by Mr. Keene (a student of Madame Durufle) contains Maurice Durufle's small ensemble and organ setting of traditional Gregorian plainsong pieces used for the Requiem Mass as well as the orchestration for the "Cum Jublio". The final piece is an incredibly soothing setting of the Lord's Prayer.

The musicianship is supurb. Another version of Durufle's Requiem was a favorite, however this version has grown into THE favorite of all the various composer's Requiems in the collection.

The recording is taxing to all but the best audio systems. (The organ pedals in the "Pie Jesu" can loosen fillings.) From a sonic/musical perspective, it's worth the price plus some, from a spiritual perspective it is priceless.

I have long held Voices of Ascension compilations in my collection (and my heart). My personal favorite is "From Chant to Renaissance", but this is a close second. While Durufle is likely considered a "modern" composer, he draws many of his themes in these pieces from traditional chants, then wraps them with modern phrasing that draws the traditional into today's world. It is a very satisfying and appealing melding of the past with curent voicing for those who are open to the intricacies of the strains.

I am not a formally trained choral musician, but love the art form and have worked with groups that have performed works from the traditional masters up through today's emerging composers. Consistently, the performances of the Voices of Ascension satisfy both the heart and the spirit.

This piece requires the upmost attention to detail, and that is what has been acocomplished. Durufle's plaining of chords in the final movement are "Heaven" on earth! The ensemble definitely portrays exactly what Durufle had intented in my humble opinion.

This is an exceptionally beautiful recording of Durufle's Requiem.
If the singers are the Voices of Ascension, then that is where one ascends to heaven. It is a touching and lovely piece.

A very good performance with a very good recording. The Requiem had more pace and, - dare I say it, - life about it than many other performances I've heard.

I sang the "Requiem" in 1955 as a member of the Baltimore Choral Society, with M. Durufle conducting and Madame at the organ. While the mainly volunteer chorus delivered a superb performance, and the occasion was historically significant for me, the Voices of Ascension's production of the "Requiem" with full orchestra and a forty-voice all-professional chorus is one of the all-time best choral CD's I have ever heard.

The chorus handles the subtle tender passages as well as the swelling crescendos with great precision and musicality. For instance, in the Domine Jesu section, the singers switch from the agitated fortissimo of the "libera eas de ore leonis" passage to the ethereal ascending soprano line "sed signifer sanctus Michael" flawlessly.

The buildup and climax of the "Hosanna" passage in the Sanctus is hair-raising. The range and quality of the mezzo soloist's voice in the Pie Jesu section is awesome. The precision of the orchestra and chorus, especially in dovetailing the two themes in the Agnus Dei is excellent. The Lux Aeterna and In Paradisum sections are almost tearfully peaceful.

The "Cum Jubilo" mass is wonderfully unique. The harmonic vocabulary bears many similarities to those of the "Requiem". It is written for unison male voices, with the orchestra providing the harmonic structure. It is a startling beautiful work, performed expertly by both singers and players.

I highly recommend this album.

Durufle is a composer who is new to me. I have really been missing something! Because my church choir was preparing a performance of this lovely and complex piece of music, I decided to familiarize myself with it, and I was well rewarded. Written in the 1940s, immediately after the end of World War II, this work harbors no bitterness towards the recent occupation, but speaks to the joy of salvation.