Duruflé Requiem
Greyfriars Kirk, 19/6/26
SCO Chorus, Gregory Batsleer, conductor, Bethany Horak-Hallett, mezzo soprano, Paul Grant, baritone, Philip Higham, cello, Michael Bawtree, organ
With the audience facing the organ (part of the 19th century upgrading of Scotland's first post-reformation kirk), the SCO Chorus take their places for a 20th century Catholic-inspired Requiem, preceded by three 20th and 21st century works of similar solemnity. The men stand in the centre with women on either side.
Philip Glass's texts for his 1984 'Three Songs for mixed a capella choir' are by North American poets: Leonard Cohen's 'There are some men', a simple memorial to an unnamed friend; French Canadian Raymond Lévesque's 'Quand les hommes vivrant d'amour', a plea for understanding; and Mexican Octavio Paz's 'Pierre de Soleil', a reflection on “all life and (how) we nurture one another”. Glass sets the words mainly in lyrical legato lines, while he develops patterns of rapid accompanying 'la, la la' sounds from other sections of the choir. The choral parts, including the vocalising become more complicated with each successive piece. Gregory Batsleer draws the precision required from the choir in this many-faceted music.
In contrast John Taverner's 1990 'Thrinos' is a pared-down wordless requiem for solo cello, reflecting his interest in Orthodox church music. Philip Higham says the work means a great deal to him, and he gives a committed performance of the piece which alternates reflective deep chords with exploratory higher passages.
James MacMillan's 2009 'Miserere' is a Latin setting of Psalm 51 for a capella choir. The twenty verses of the psalm are grouped together in music of increasing complexity, drawing on Latin plain chant, Allegri's 17th century version of the psalm and Scots melodies. Male voices are heard first, then the women, with grace notes a feature when the highest voices enter. Discordance dominates in verses about sin. As the words become more optimistic the music more obviously resembles plain chant, with the words passed around the choir, accompanied by hummed drones. These continue as the music moves unexpectedly into a melody reminiscent of Gaelic secular song, where these soprano grace-notes find their home. James MacMillan's choral works have been a belated discovery for me, and this one is a beautiful example, given a performance of great clarity and beauty by the choir.
Plain chant is at the heart of Duruflé's 'Requiem'. Commissioned during the war by the Vichy government it was not completed until after their defeat and had its first performance in 1947. The composer describes it thus: “This Requiem is not an ethereal work which sings of detachment from earthly worries. It reflects, in the immutable form of the Christian prayer, the agony of man faced with the mystery of his ultimate end. It is often dramatic or filled with resignation, or hope or terror, just as the words of the Scripture themselves which are used in the liturgy. It tends to translate human feelings before their terrifying, unexplainable or consoling destiny.” His interest in plain chant is apparent throughout the piece, especially in the fluid rhythms. Although this ancient style of singing Latin texts was originally performed by unaccompanied male voices, by the twentieth century, organ-accompanied mixed choirs regularly sang the mass in churches.
The plain chant inspired male opening contrasts with higher women's voices in the 'Requiem aeternum', then male and female voices alternate in the Kyrie, coming together in a canonic conclusion. The composer chooses to divide the different parts of the Requiem's 'Sequence' so that the more consolatory sections come earlier than in Mozart's 'Requiem' which foregrounds the day of judgement near the beginning. 'Domine Jesu' concentrates on the forgiveness of God with the choirs rising to a plea for mercy before Paul Grant's compelling baritone solo offers praises. Michael Bawtree provides rich textures in his accompaniment to the quietly exultant 'Sanctus' before the cello-accompanied solo, 'Pie Jesu'. Mezzo Bethany Horak-Hallett and Philip Higham make the earnest prayer for eternal rest a convincing moment of reflection. The 'Agnus Dei' and 'Lux eterna' both exploit the fluidity of the plain chant rhythms. In contrast 'Libera Me' which culminates in the 'Dies irae' contains the most disturbing music of the Requiem, the day of judgement and the wrath of God threatening the 'terrifying destiny' which Duruflé mentions in his commentary. The choir builds up a devastating crescendo broken by Paul Grant's second solo “I am forced to tremble and I fear” signifying the personal effect of this terror. The return to consolation and redemption comes in the high hushed tones of 'In Paradisum'.
Gregory Batsleer has conducted an exemplary performance by the SCO Chorus, the two fine young soloists, organist Michael Bawtree and cellist Philip Higham of this lesser-known Requiem and the complementary works in the first part of the programme.
With thanks as ever to David Kettle for his insightful programme notes and to the Wikipedia entry whose references yielded the composer's commentary which I quoted.
