Choral Music Suggestions

Excellent guys--thanks! Please keep them coming!

My most favorite choral piece - The Faure Requiem, in the original version for choir only, performed by Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi. Absolutely beautiful intimate music sung in a chamber.

In the same spirit but for those who want an orchestra as well, albeit a chamber orchestra, is Herreweghe's 2d disc on Harmonia Mundi. Take your pick.

FWIW the latter disc also includes an excellent Franck Symphony in B which is smaller in scale and a relief from normal (i.e. overblown, IMHO) versions.

If you are not familiar with these works, or versions, you should give them a listen. I'm not sure that they are, but they may be ones that Rcprince referred to in his post, although they are more commonly presented as large force pieces with a full orchestra.

My favorite scaled down version of the Durufle Requiem (probably because I know some of the singers and have heard them perform in concert and at a few funerals) is the Voices of Ascension recording on Delos, surprisingly called The Durufle Album. If you can find it (long since out of print, as Delos sadly is no more, I believe), one of the things I like about it is that the women in the choir pretty much sing straight tone (little or no vibrato), which fits the piece beautifully, since it is based on plainsong chants.

The Herwigge discs mentioned by Newbee are excellent versions of the Faure.

Just in time ...

Arkiv Music is having a sale on Choral Music this week.

Rich