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The New Chamber Singers’ interpretation of Duruflé’s Requiem
by Silvia Francesca Maglione
Never has a requiem sounded as delightful as in the latest performance conducted by Stefano Vasselli this past Sunday at the church of St. Paul within the Walls in Rome.  Stefano Vasselli
The ability of blending together the warmth of a four-part harmony, with the innovative requiem style proposed by Duruflé and with the overall beautiful performance was genuinely breathtaking. The majestic sound of the pipe organ was enhanced by Alessandro Bianconi’s outstanding talent. As a matter of fact, his fingers danced dexterously on the four manuals, elegantly switching from playing to changing registers without anyone noticing. Although Mr. Bianconi has accompanied the Requiem on the organ, what really has enraptured the audience was his solo performance of Duruflé’s ‘Prélude, Adagio et Choral varié sur le theme du Veni Creator’.
An accomplished organist himself, Mr. Stefano Vasselli’s conduction of the choir was eclectic; ranging from the ethereal delicateness of the ‘In Paradisium’ movement, to the caustic energy of ‘Libera me’.
 Church of St. Paul within the Walls, Rome
Maurice Duruflé’s (1902-1986) music well fitted the high skill of the musicians, as well as the general beauty of the Episcopalian church. Furthermore, Mr. Vasselli’s dedication of the concert to his father harmoniously reflected Duruflé’s decision of dedicating the Requiem to his own father. This Requiem was built upon Gregorian chants wonderfully linked together through the organ accompaniment and polyphonic harmony.
The audience’s nearly interminable applause utterly reflected its enjoyment of the performance.
Bravo!
Related contents:
St. Paul’s within the Walls
http://www.stpaulsrome.it/
All Saints Anglican Church
www.allsaintsrome.org/
Association Maurice et Marie-Madeleine Duruflé
http://www.france-orgue.fr/durufle/
Duruflé’s Requiem at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_(Durufl%C3%A9)
The views and opinions in this blog post are those of its author.
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User comments:
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 Happy birthday, Little Star. |
Posted by EugeneOrmandy on December 21st, 2007 @ 10:37 am GMT |
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