Composer: Francesco Durante
Performer: Astrarium Consort, Francesca Cassinari, Elena Carzaniga, Roberto Rilievi, Matteo Bellotto, Luca Alfonso Rizzello, Aki Takahashi, Elisa La Marca, Marlise Goidanich, Cecilia Medi
Conductor: Carlo Centemeri
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Brilliant Classics
Release: 2020
Size: 966 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Requiem:
01. Introitus: I. Requiem aeternam
02. Introitus: II. Kyrie
03. Gradualis et tractus: I. Requiem aeternam – In memoria aeterna
04. Fuga in C Minor
05. Sequentia: I. Dies Irae, dies illa
06. Sequentia: II. Recordare Jesu pie
07. Sequentia: III. Ingemisco tamquam reus
08. Sequentia: IV. Confutatis maledictis
09. Sequentia: V. Lacrymosa dies illa
10. Offertorium: I. Domine Jesu Christe
11. Offertorium: II. Hostias
12. Sanctus: I. Sanctus
13. Sanctus: II. Benedictus
14. Toccata (Anonymous, Naples, XVII sec.)
15. Agnus dei
16. Communio: I. Lux aeterna
17. Exitus: I. Libera me domine
Francesco Durante (1684-1755) was the most important representative of the Neapolitan School in the first half of the 18-th century, “the greatest harmonist in Italy, that is the world” wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his Dictionnaire de Musique. His pupils include Pergolesi, Jommelli and Paisiello.
Durante was one of the foremost composers of sacred music in his time. This new recording presents his magnificent Requiem in G minor, one of the greatest of the Baroque era. The work uses the principles of Renaissance and Baroque polyphony in its complex counterpoint made up of canons, fugues, notation with long values, use of the “Cantus firmus” and rhetorical elements (the descending chromatism) in a style that has a direct reference to the Palestrina style.
The Italian Astrarium Consort is specialized in the exploration of Neapolitan Baroque music. They play on period instruments and have based their performance on a critical survey of the original manuscript scores.