Like many modern French composers, Maurice Duruflé produced a small body of works that shows careful craftsmanship, yet reveals a rich musical imagination. Without doubt the best known of his works is the Requiem, which has risen to a level of familiarity comparable to Fauré's Requiem, in part because these works are often paired on recordings. Yet it is often heard in concerts, and its rich setting of Gregorian chant themes has made it one of the most popular modern choral pieces. Duruflé's organ music is a more ...
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Like many modern French composers, Maurice Duruflé produced a small body of works that shows careful craftsmanship, yet reveals a rich musical imagination. Without doubt the best known of his works is the Requiem, which has risen to a level of familiarity comparable to Fauré's Requiem, in part because these works are often paired on recordings. Yet it is often heard in concerts, and its rich setting of Gregorian chant themes has made it one of the most popular modern choral pieces. Duruflé's organ music is a more specialized interest, though it has found an audience outside the usual group of organ aficionados, and his Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d'ALAIN (a tribute to composer Jehan Alain) is the most familiar of these, perhaps because it is often programmed and recorded with Alain's Litanies. Duruflé's complete organ works are included in this double CD package from Danacord, as well as the lovely a cappella Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens. The lion's share of the performances are by organist...
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