Gilles : Requiem (1993)

"Jean Gilles is not a well known name in music, which was not the case in his lifetime. Born in 1668, he spent much of his life in positions of music until dying in 1705 at the age of 37. Because of his premature death, he did not rise to the grand appointments. The Messe des morts, the Requiem played here, was not published until 1764 in an edition for general use, although the piece was generally played before then, being a well-respected piece of music by the public and the composer community alike. The Requiem is scored for soloists, a five-voice choir, and instruments. It begins with a funeral march that leads into the Introit. The other mass pieces, the Kyrie, Dies Irae, Offertoire, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Post-communion piece show great power. The vocal soloists and orchestra predominate, often with dance-like music, while the chorus contributes climactic endings to each main section in a largely homophonic style." (Amazon)