Duruflé’s Requiem doesn’t have the
same dark drama that is associated with that of Fauré
or Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem. Dedicated to the
composer’s father, this work is entirely based on Gregorian
chant but uses Duruflé’s distinctive tonal palette,
reminiscent of Ravel and Debussy. This recording, by the combined
forces of two Danish choirs, is very enjoyable. The sound is
very pure in tone, there is little vibrato, which suits this
Parisian repertoire. The baritone soloist in Domine Jesu
Christe uses his vibrato as an additional colour in his
phrasing, which works well to characterise this sombre moment
and is unusual for a successful opera singer where the expectation
is a richer tone. The Sanctus is particularly well sung
by the chorus, they fit their phrases neatly with the running
figures in the organ part and the words are clear. The soprano
soloist, Randi Stene, takes a more operatic approach to her
Pie Jesu solo. This is matched very well by the cellist
and it is a true duet between voice and bow, although not wholly
in keeping with the overall sound of this recording. Clarity
of diction is more successful in the Four Motets than
in the Requiem possibly because they are only sung by
the Vocal Group Concert Clemens. The Danish singers have
a darker vowel sound for the Latin text than English or American
choirs - for example Nimbus NI5599 from St. John’s College
Cambridge reviewed
here - which is resonant and warm, and they have better
diction of consonants than French recordings. Tota pulchra
es, scored for upper voices only, could have a little more
bounce to the articulation in the opening motif as could Tu
es Petrus, which is a little glutinous. The pace of the
motets is well measured and the conductor, Carsten Seyer-Hansen
should be justly proud of his ability to communicate his intention
through his choirs.
The other music on these two CDs is all for solo organ. The
organ of Aarhus Cathedral is well suited to this French repertoire,
largely due to the import of the reed stops from France in the
1920s, and is roughly the same size as Duruflé’s
beloved instrument at St. Étienne du Mont. Krogsøe
- the cathedral’s youthful organist - handles this mature
repertoire with some skill. Fugue sur le theme du carillon
des heures de la cathédrale de Soissons is quite
slow and heavily registered and therefore lacks the lightness
that is present in other performances. The substantial Prélude,
adagio et choral varié sur le theme du Veni Creator
is crafted more convincingly and showcases some of the organ’s
most beautiful stops - particularly the gentle 8’ reed
used for the duet section in the Prélude. The
Adagio is good, but isn’t heart stopping like John
Scott’s recording (CDA66368). The Scherzo is delightfully
playful and the string sounds are lovely. The Suite op. 5
is the most substantial organ work by Duruflé. It requires
careful pacing to be able to get to the end in one piece and
even more guts to pull off the large gestures in the first movement.
Krogsøe could have made us sweat even more in the first
movement, this time a slightly slower tempo would have exerted
an even greater pressure on the listener, with greater reward.
The Sicilienne is nicely phrased and uses some great
sounds especially the huge, resonant pedal stops. In the Toccata,
Krogsøe finally releases all his musical powers and probably
needed a stiff drink at the end of it. This is the most enjoyable
organ work on these CDs and, whilst there are other interpretations
of this movement, it marks Krogsøe out as a man to listen
out for in the future. He does the organ and the composition
due credit.
Very extensive CD notes, an arty cover and some very accomplished
music-making make this compendium of Duruflé’s
works a valuable addition to any collection. Krogsøe
and Seyer-Hansen are musicians to watch out for in the future.
Hannah Parry-Ridout
see also review by William
Hedley
alternatively
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Track listing
CD 1
Requiem op. 9 [37:17]
Méditation [4:04]
Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens op.
10 [7:44]
Prélude et fugue sur le nom d’ALAIN op. 7
[12:31]
CD 2
Fugue sur le theme du carillon des heures de la cathédrale
de Soissons, op. 12 [3:52]
Prélude, adagio et choral varié sur le thème
du Veni Creator, op. 4 [20:36]
Prélude sur l’Introït de l’Épiphanie,
op. 13 [2:12]
Scherzo, op. 2 [6:01]
Chant donné - hommage à Jean Gallon [1:59]
Suite, op. 5 [23:35]
Bo Skovhus (baritone), Randi Stene (soprano), Henrik Brendstrup
(cello), Kristian Krogsøe (organ) 