Francis Poulenc, a French composer, distinguished his Catholic religious inspiration from the Protestant tradition by stating he set prayer to music, while Arthur Honegger, a Swiss composer, set history.
Performer Biography
The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, specializing in baroque and classical performance, was founded in 1981 as a complement to the Tafelmusik Orchestra and is directed by Ivars Taurins.
Composer Biography
Francis Poulenc, a French composer, rediscovered his faith after visiting the altar of the Black Madonna of Rocamadour in 1936, following the death of his friend, composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud.
Composition History
The album features a compilation of a cappella choral works by five French composers, written between 1865 and 1952, many of which are religious in inspiration.
Interpretation
For this recording, the Poulenc works use French Latin pronunciation, while the Messiaen work uses Roman pronunciation, to match the composers' likely intentions.
Performer Biography
Ivars Taurins, the founder and director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, was also the principal violist of the Tafelmusik Orchestra from 1979 to 2002.
Instruments
Stephen Ralls performs on a 1901 Model 'B' Bechstein piano, restored by Ibach, the world's oldest piano manufacturer, to sound similar to pianos Fauré would have known.
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