Messa da requiem

https://www.discogs.com/Lorenzo-Perosi-Koninklijk-Heerlens-Mannenkoor-St-Pancratius-Tom-Brand-Leo-Ketelaars-Albert-De-Klerk-/release/7864501

It is startling to see how many times I shot and missed. I have this because I heard the requiem of Fauré and Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar). I thought all requiems must be good. This neo-gothic piece of liturgical church service was not quite what I expected.

Perosi is from the time of Puccini, and was admired by the famous opera composer. He was befriended by pope Pius X, which undoubtedly helped him to no end. This requiem however is from before that time. Before his great success. He was working for the San Marco in Venice in 1897, when he wrote this work. Before that he studied in Regensburg, where he was influenced by a musical movement that tried to return to the old renaissance music of Palestrina and the like.

This has a beauty that resembles the gothic revival building style: maybe not original and a bit fake, but still an interesting piece of that time.

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