Faure's Requiem: Église de la Madeleine

About the Event

Experience classical music like never before in this astonishing performance of masterworks by Fauré at Paris's remarkable Eglise de la Madeleine.

Gabriel Fauré's Requiem de Fauré in D minor, Op. 48, written at the height of his musical maturity, is one of his best‐known works.
It was first performed on January 16, 1888 in the Madeleine church. This mass for the dead is considered one of Fauré's masterpieces, and one of the most beautiful requiems of the 19th century. This highly personal work contains several pieces that rank among the most moving in Western choral music.
Le Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11, is a vocal piece composed in 1865 by the then 19‐year‐old Gabriel Fauré. Written for choir (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) with piano or organ, the piece is in the key of D‐flat major.
After an introduction played on piano (or organ), the choir enters desk by desk. At the fortieth bar, after an instrumental bridge, a modulating middle section is introduced in A flat major (then B flat minor), where the work reaches its most expressive level. With a slow, solemn return, the piece then returns to its original character.
There is a version for choir, harmonium and string quintet (1866) and a version for choir and orchestra (1906).
Dedicated to César Franck, the score won first prize in composition at the Ecole Niedermeyer graduation competition in Paris, where Fauré was a student.

Symphony No. 7 is built around a progression in which rhythm plays the leading role, rather than melody, giving the work as a whole a danceable character and a definite vigor.
Dynamic and eclectic, the Hélios orchestra has established itself since its creation in 2014.
Its artistic director, Paul Savalle, promotes the professional integration of young musicians through orchestral practice. In this way, young graduates mingle with experienced orchestral musicians, conductors and soloists in optimal working conditions.
From baroque to contemporary music, the programs are varied, and the repertoire is both symphonic and choral, with the orchestra joining forces with departmental and regional choirs.
Thanks to the collaboration with different conductors, the musicians are able to tackle a very rich repertoire, broadening their interpretative palette. All are graduates of France's leading conservatories, and some are members of national orchestras.
From string quartet to symphony orchestra to brass ensemble, the orchestra is always expanding its audience by modulating its composition. The string orchestra performs in the most prestigious churches in Paris, giving audiences the chance to discover a rich architectural heritage.
Its variable‐geometry formation enables the Hélios orchestra to tackle a very broad repertoire with passionate curiosity.