Cherubini: Requiem in C Minor

Cherubini's Requiem in C minor, by turns ethereal, highly dramatic and ultimately transcendent, was triumphantly premiered on January 21, 1817, in a memorial concert below the abbey church of St. Denis to commemorate the anniversary of the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The bodies of the long deposed monarchs had been searched for and found a few years earlier and were finally being laid to rest in the crypt of St. Denis. Though held in the highest esteem by many of the greatest composers of his time, this first of Cherubini's two Requiems fell into obscurity by the end of the 19th century. The new recording gives the work a new lease on life and invites listeners who have long treasured - and even helped popularize - the great and varied Requiems by composers such as Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, Verdi and even Britten to discover a deeply satisfying and unjustly neglected masterpiece.

"Martin Pearlman and the Boston Baroque forces tackle it [Cherubini] with a will, most effectively in the quieter movements…" - Gramophone

"I have heard astoundingly few recordings of Cherbini¹s greater-of-two requiems performed with such delicacy and conviction." - Audiophile Audition

"…the period-instrument performance by Martin Pearlman's Boston Baroque is equally effective in the music's serene and vehement moods." - Barnes and Noble

"Pearlman and his ensemble are especially sensitive in sacred repertoire, and the expressions of both the choir and the orchestra approach the sublime." - All Music

"Pearlman and his period instrument band and chorus are exemplary throughout. Tempos are apt, the orchestra plays with feeling, without the annoying tics heard from many such ensembles, and the well-drilled chorus sings with color and delicacy, as well as with a wide dynamic range." - Amazon.com

"Pearlman believes strongly in this work, and his interpretation does not skimp on expression but at the same time stays true to the music's sense of balanced, classical proportions. The chorus sounds marvelous, singing with a dark mahogany tone, and the period instrument orchestra plays with vibrancy and precision. One release of course cannot rescue a composer's faded reputation, but this one is a good place to begin." - Boston Globe

"Pearlman and the Boston Baroque give us exuberant, extroverted performances… Telarc's sound is outstanding - warm and spacious, with clear textures even in the most complicated passages. Dynamics are impressively well scaled, and nothing seems overblown or exaggerated. Every music lover should own these works, and I highly recommend this release." - Enjoy the Music