Requiem (Saint-Saëns)

Messe de Requiem
Requiem by Camille Saint-Saens
The composer in 1875
Catalogue Op. 54
Occasion In memory of Albert Libon
Text Requiem
Language Latin
Performed 22 May 1878 (1878-05-22)
Scoring
  • four solists
  • choir
  • organs
  • orchestra

The Requiem, full title Messe de Requiem, Op. 54, is a Requiem Mass composed by Camille Saint-Saens in 1878 for soloists, choir and orchestra.

History

Camille Saint-Saens composed the Requiem in memory of his friend and patron, Albert Libon, who had died in 1877. Libon had been a director of the postal service in Paris. He was interested in music and left Saint-Saëns 100,000 francs in his will[1] which enabled the composer to retire from his church post at La Madeleine in Paris and use his time for composition. The inheritance came with the request to compose a Requiem for the first anniversary of death, which the composer fulfilled in gratitude. He retreated to a hotel in Bern and completed the work in a week. He wrote to his publisher: "Fear not, this Requiem will be very short; I’m not just working hard, I’m working flat out!" He conducted the first performance on 22 May 1878 in the mass commemorating the first anniversary of Libon's death at Saint-Sulpice in Paris, with Charles-Marie Widor as the organist.[2] It was first published the same year.

In 2016, it was published in a critical edition by Carus-Verlag, in the version for orchestra as well as in a version for a smaller ensemble but retaining the characteristic sound.[3]

Structure and scoring

The Requiem consists of eight movements:

  1. Kyrie
  2. Dies Irae
  3. Rex Tremendae
  4. Oro Supplex
  5. Hostias (Offertory)
  6. Sanctus
  7. Benedictus
  8. Agnus Dei

The Requiem is scored for SATB soloists and choir, four flutes, two oboes, two English horns, four bassoons, four French horns, four harps, four trombones, timpani, grand organ, accompanying organ, and strings.[3][4]

Recordings

The Messe de Requiem was recorded, among other choral works by Saint-Saëns, by the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and its choir, conducted by Diego Fasolis, with soloists Marie-Paule Dotti, Guillemette Laurens, Luca Lombardo and Nicolas Testé.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Saint-Saëns en six dates (France Musique)
  2. ↑ Näf, Fritz. "Camille Saint-Saëns / Messe de Requiem / op. 54, 1878" (PDF). Carus-Verlag. pp. 7–9. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Camille Saint-Saëns / Messe de Requiem / op. 54, 1878". Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. ↑ Stevenson, Joseph. "Requiem, for soloists, chorus & orchestra, Op. 54". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Nichols, R. (2004). "Camille Saint-Saëns Messe de Requiem". Gramophone. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
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