Customer Reviews

Messe Cum Jubilo

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If you buy this one only for the Quatre Motets, you will have spent your money well. Not only will the pieces themselves give you an out-of-body transport straight to the Divine, the singing is out of this world. On "Tantum Ergo" they even manage to "hit the bird" (create an ethereal fifth tone by the blending of their voices--sounds like an angel joins in on the final verse)! Every time I listen to these pieces, my heart kneels in awe and reverence. This, folks, is what sacred music is all about--not those sappy, insipid ditties that sound like bank commercials that we get force-fed at church every week in the name of "relevance." Short of the organ works of Messaien, this is the most meditative, transcendent music I can think of. An intelligent, spiritual person with an appreciation of the sacred will love this CD.

All one needs do is compare the rending of Ubi Caritas on this album to others to understand that to hear the composers intent it's best to listen to the composer conduct if he is at all skilled as a conductor as indeed, Mr. Durufle was. The music is mezmerizing.

Like Britten, Duruflé was an outstanding conductor of his own works--as few as they were--as this disk shows.

The recording of the "Messe Cum Jubilo" lets the brilliance of the full orchestral version shine; overall, this is, without a doubt, my favorite version of the work (after hearing this one, hearing either the 'chamber' or 'organ' version sounds 'lacking').

Likewise, the performances of the "Quatre chants" and "Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain" are sumptuous and well-recorded.

But perhaps the best reason to get this disk is the "Trois dances", one of Duruflé's two non-sacred works. Again, beautifully recorded, with masterful orchestration.

In all, hearing this disk leaves me hoping that someone will find a recording of Duruflé conducting his Requiem.