I recently had the grand opportunity to perform this work with our local chorus and the city symphony. At times, our local NPR lackeys will broadcast these recordings for later broadcast but perhaps with union rules we won’t get to hear this recording. So, I decided I needed a good recording for my library.
So nice of the Pipe Dreams radio show that this year they did an excerpt from Church of the Incarnation of Dallas, TX:
Two French Masses with Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria, Widor’s Messe, Opus 36 and Durufle’s Requiem, Opus 9
This is a superb recording. Some other recordings of the Duruflé are overwhelmed with huge choirs, and muddy miking which sounds like sonic mud. This Dallas recording is an intimate recording with a much smaller choir, but still highly talented. Since it was featured on a recent Pipe Dreams show, the organ used is a great instrument.
This also lends itself to a Widor mass offering vs the usual pairing of the Duruflé with the Fauré requiem. It’s a natural pairing for both choral and organ aficionados.
At times I wish the Dallas recording was more pronounced which makes me want to hit the volume button for more sound. Though the Duruflé has its dynamic extremes, this recording presents these in a subtle manner.
This is the sort of recording which my friend Pete Smith would’ve traveled to, and set up his home recording rig. This brings out the best in local church choirs, the best in pipe organs, and showcases one of the premier works of the entire 20th century for any musical genre.
It’s all good. Very, very good. Buy your recording direct from the church. You can’t buy it commercially as of this writing.