Maurice Duruflé's Requiem was commissioned by his publisher while he was working on an organ suite based on Gregorian melodies, which were then expanded into the Requiem Mass.
Compositional Technique
Duruflé's Requiem was initially composed for and based on the organ, with orchestration added later in the compositional process.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in July 2004 at the Katholische Kirche St. Gudula in Rhede, Germany, featuring an organ built by Orgelbaufirma Romanus Seifert und Sohn.
Performer Biography
Peter Dijkstra, the conductor of The Gents, began singing as a boy in The Roden Boys Choir and later studied choral and orchestral conducting, graduating summa cum laude.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Francis Poulenc, after a period of renewed religious inspiration, composed a significant number of a cappella choir works, including the 'Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue' for male chorus.
Performer Biography
The Gents, an all-male vocal ensemble, was formed in 1999 by 16 young men who had previously sung in The Roden Boys Choir.
Performer Biography
The Gents won first prize at the National Choir Contest in their first months of existence, receiving the highest points ever given to a choir in the Festival's 30-year history.
