The choral and instrumental parts for Gabriel Fauré's 1893 version of the Requiem, Op. 48, were discovered in 1969, and a score was assembled from them and published in 1994. Since then, this edition has been finding admirers, such as Laurence Equilbey and her hand-picked choir Accentus, who perform the Requiem with members of the Orchestre National de France on this 2008 Naïve release. The impact of the work is still quite strong and imposing in this chamber version, even when compared with performances of the full ...
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The choral and instrumental parts for Gabriel Fauré's 1893 version of the Requiem, Op. 48, were discovered in 1969, and a score was assembled from them and published in 1994. Since then, this edition has been finding admirers, such as Laurence Equilbey and her hand-picked choir Accentus, who perform the Requiem with members of the Orchestre National de France on this 2008 Naïve release. The impact of the work is still quite strong and imposing in this chamber version, even when compared with performances of the full orchestral score of 1901, and it helps that the recording is full, deep, and vibrant, so textures are substantial and tone colors are rich, without giving the slightest impression that any forces are lacking. The choir of roughly 30 voices is as full as it needs to be, since Fauré's intimate choral writing is translucent and best suited to a group around this size, and though it is best known as an a cappella ensemble, Accentus seems quite comfortable surrounded by the small body of...
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