Requiem in C major
CG op. Posth.
Gounod’s Requiem, unlike many contemporary settings of the Mass of the Dead, is not characterized by darkness and terror. Rather, with all of its trepidation – expressed through a marked chromaticism – an atmosphere of hopeful expectation, of trust in the grace and equity of the divine judge predominates. This confidence finds its expression in the choice of the fundamental key of C major, which is rather unusual for a requiem. The work was given an impressive performance on the occasion of the first anniversary of Gounod’s death in the Parisian church of Sainte-Madeleine under the direction of Gabriel Fauré and it was highly acclaimed by the contemporary press.
Thanks to the arrangement for chamber orchestra (arr. Z. Szathmáry, Carus 27.315/50) it is possible to perform the piece with a smaller orchestra. And if there is no orchestra but an organist at hand, Carus also offers a version in the series "Choir & Organ" (Carus 27.315/45).
- The first critical edition of the last work by Gounod
- Detailed foreword in three languages
- Critical Report with information about the source situation and the edition, and containing the individual readings (alternative readings, etc.)
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Composer
Charles Gounod
| 1818-1893Charles Gounod is known today especially as the composer of the operas Faust (1859) and Roméo et Juliette (1867), and of the very popular Méditation sur le 1er prélude de piano de J. S. Bach (1852), arranged in 1859 as an Ave Maria. The fact that Gounod is regarded primarily as an important opera composer does not do justice to his extensive œuvre, which encompasses all genres. His creative output is dominated by his church music, which overshadows that of all other 19th-century composers. Personal details
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Editor
Barbara Grossmann
| 1978
Reviews
Die einzige vollständig aus der Feder Gounods stammende Version ist [...] die Fassung für großes Orchester, die bei Carus neu und erstmals in einer Kritischen Edition von Barbara Grossmann präsentiert wird , ihre Hauptquelle ist der postum herausgegebene Erstdruck.
Birger Petersen, Gottesdienst und Kirchenmusik, 3/2012
[...] vorbildlich im Hinblick auf Notensatz als auch durch ein umfangreiches Vorwort, das interessante Einblicke in die Entstehungsgeschichte und Rezeption des Werkes vermittelt.
Kirchenmusik im Bistum Aachen, Mai 2011