Luigi Cherubini

Requiem C Minor

The Requiem in C minor by Luigi Cherubini from 1816 is a milestone in the history of sacred music and was composed in memory of the executed French King Louis XVI. The work enjoyed the highest acclaim among contemporaries; Ludwig van Beethoven, for example, admired the composition so much that he expressly requested it for his own funeral service.

A special feature of this requiem is the complete absence of vocal soloists, which means that the mixed choir is the main focus. In this work, Cherubini masterfully combines the clarity of the classical style with a deep, romantic expressiveness and dramatic orchestral writing. From the sombre solemnity of the "Introitus" to the gripping "Dies irae", the composition captivates with its formal rigor and spiritual sublimity, making it an integral part of the great choral symphonic repertoire to this day.