Campra: Messe de Requiem

Description

The Requiem was composed during Campra's tenure as the director of music at the cathedral of Notre Dame. It was commissioned for a service in memory of the deceased Archbishop of Paris. At the end of the 18th century it became a tradition in southern France to perform movements of Campra's Requiem during funerals or at memorial services: There is evidence from as late as 1805 which verifies this practice. The scoring of this work is remarkable, in that it calls for four groups of performers: a five-voice "Grand Chœur," a 2–3 voice "Petit Chœur," three vocal soloists as well as an instrumental group designated as a "Symphonie."