Faure Requiem; JS Bach Partitas, Chorales & Ciaconna (SACD)

LSO Live is delighted to renew its relationship with the magnificent Tenebrae choir, whose previous recordings on the label have included Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ and Handel’s Messiah. As part of the 2011 City of London Festival, Tenebrae joined an ensemble from the LSO at St Paul’s Cathedral for a performance of Fauré’s Requiem, preceded by a selection of Bach’s Chorales interspersed with his Partita’s performed by Gordan Nikolitch, leader of the LSO.

The centrepiece of the programme was Helga Thoene’s remarkable superposition of Bach’s choral themes with solo violin. The performance was restaged in May 2012 in the sublime acoustic of the Church of St Giles Cripplegate and recorded by LSO Live.

Fauré’s requiem in D minor is a setting of the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead in seven movements. Most famous is the soprano aria Pie Jesu, but the final movement In Paradisum has featured on many film soundtracks, such as The Thin Red Line, American Beauty and 28 Days Later. The Requiem exists in three different versions, with John Rutter’s edition being performed here.

In December, the LSO and principal conductor Valery Gergiev present a major touring programme of the complete Brahms and Szymanowski cycles in Europe with residencies in London, Paris and Luxemburg. Following an Autumn tour of the USA, Tenebrae will perform selection of Christmas concerts in December, followed by another a tour of the USA in Spring 2013. A selection of Tenebrae Sopranos will also feature in the performances of Alice in Wonderland at the Royal Opera House.