Fauré Requiem to be sung

The Requiem Mass by Gabriel Fauré will be sung on All Souls' Day for the first time at St. Mary's in Albany. It will also be the first time the Requiem will be sung as a Mass in the Capital District "in a long time," according to Dennis Coker, president of the New York Catholic Chorale, which will sing the piece.

Fauré, who lived from 1845-1924, was an innovative French composer who broke with tradition but also stayed clear of the then-dominant influence of Richard Wagner, the heavy-toned German composer. Fauré wrote that music and art serves "to elevate man-kind as far as possible above everyday existence."

His music is noted for its serenity, joyous strength, intensity and "diversity within unity," according to musical scholar Robert Orledge. Fauré is best known for his symphony, "Pelléas et Melisande."

After the death of his mother in 1888, Fauré completed the Requiem using pieces he had already composed during his tenure as organist at a Paris church. "He had played at so many Requiem Masses that he wanted something different," said Mr. Coker.

A Requiem, a votive Mass for the dead, follows the same format as the Latin Mass with the Alleluia and other parts omitted. Many composers tested themselves with requiems, including Mozart, Berlioz and Verdi.

Instead of the typical apocalyptic themes, Mr. Coker said Fauré used more of a lullaby melody, one that captures "the end of life [instead of] the end of the world."

The Catholic Chorale, now in its 11th year, is based at Siena College in Loudonville as artists-in-residence and has up to 40 members. The group specializes in Renaissance and Baroque music and also performs Gregorian chant.

They sing a choral Mass several times a year at St. Mary's. The Fauré will be sung as part of the regular Latin Mass at 12 noon. The chorale, led by musical director Muriel Maharidge, a French native with a doctorate in conducting from the University of California at Santa Barbara, will be accompanied by the Franciscan Chamber Orchestra directed by Anne Marie Barker-Schwartz.

(Gabriel Fauré's Requiem will be sung at the 12 p.m. Mass on Nov. 2, All Souls' Day, at St. Mary's Church in Albany. There is no charge; a voluntary offering will be taken during the collection.)

(10/30/08)