Duruflé’s Requiem and Poulenc’s Mass

The Israeli Vocal Ensemble
Organ: Boris Zubin
Conductor: Yuval Benozer
Tom Ben Ishai, soprano
Alexey Kanunikov, bass

Two wonderful pieces from the French choral repertoire: the Requiem by Maurice Duruflé, and the Mass in G by Francis Poulenc. The Requiem, which brought Duruflé most of his publicity, is a tribute to Gregorian chant and is one of the most performed pieces in the choral repertoire. The original version of the piece, influenced by Gabriel Fauré’s famous requiem, brings the spirit of peace and reconciliation with death, written for organ and choir, and will be performed on the symphonic organ of the Israeli Vocal Ensemble. Along with the Requiem, another French gem will be performed—the Mass in G by Poulenc, characterized by lyrical musical lines, which cast a spell over every listener.