In 1606, French composer Eustache du Caurroy wrote a requiem mass that was to become the official requiem sung at the funerals of the kings of France. A century later, one commentator summed up the work’s stature: “. . .those who care for trifles will not find here what they are seeking. This music . . is most sad, but it is also of the utmost excellence and no others are ever sung at the funerals and services of Kings and Princes at Saint-Denis.” We are fortunate to have this only surviving mass from one of France’s greatest and most versatile composers. The mass is indeed solemn, but you quickly put aside any notions of melancholy because the music is just so incredibly harmonious, full of rich harmonic convergences that resonate so you can feel them. The events surrounding a royal funeral in 17th-century France were quite elaborate, continuing for days, and as you might expect, music was a large part of the proceedings. This recording seeks to give us the fullest possible sense of what these events were like, so in addition to the mass, we also hear two psalm settings and several short instrumental pieces: a Pavane for the King; a fantasia based on the chant Pange lingua; and a concluding fanfare.
All of the performances are first rate–but you’ll be particularly impressed by the six perfectly balanced, well-matched voices and their captivating expressive abilities. You may not be so impressed by the decision of the disc’s producers to include a seven and a half minute spoken (in French) funeral oration in the middle of the musical program. The liner notes, which contain a wonderful chronological description of a king’s funeral celebrations, suggest that, in order to appreciate its impact, we imagine this oration “echoing beneath the vaults of a Notre Dame draped in black . . .”–well, I love French, but I suggest in this case that you simply press the skip button. There are some occasions when the quest for authenticity and realism get in the way of the real reason we’re listening: the music. And it’s the music that makes this disc a winner. As Henry the IV is reputed to have said, after converting to Roman Catholicism in order to win Paris, “Paris is well worth a mass”; so is this mass well worth your investment.
