embrace

Sunday, January 23, 2005 at 7 pm

Welcome back, Paul Salamunovich. We’ve invited our beloved Grammy-nominated Music Director Emeritus to conduct one of his specialties, the Duruflé Requiem. Maurice Durufle recognized a kindred soul in Maestro Salamunovich and their mutual love of Gregorian chant led to a long, fruitful relationship — and a terrific Master Chorale CD with Salamunovich conducting Duruflé’s (1966) Messe “cum Jubilo.”

Duruflé wrote three versions of the Requiem, his most famous and influential work. We’re performing the 1947 organ-only version — made-to-order for Gehry’s surround-sound chamber and splendid organ. Meticulously written, Duruflé’s new-age Requiem fuses Gregorian chant with 20th century concepts and weaves an embracing, almost cosmic tapestry of human emotion — from peaks of ecstatic joy to more reflective moments. It’s a gentler, more hopeful requiem that speaks eloquently to today’s universal yearnings.

When Paul Salamunovich retired in 2001, the Master Chorale voiced the hope that we can keep him close to us forever. Duruflé’s deeply moving masterpiece is the perfect return engagement.

Download a guide to the season: chorale-seasonguide0405.pdf, 808KB