Requiem / Symphonie

"A recent Artsworld documentary showed Philippe Herreweghe rehearsing his Parisian orchestra in Beethoven's Choral Symphony. It was an inspiring occasion - the young musicians were clearly entranced by one of Europe's most charismatic 'period' musicians. On this new disc, he adds the full-orchestra version of the Fauré Requiem to his earlier recording of the chamber edition. And, as a rare and generous coupling, Franck's Symphony is compellingly performed."
Editor's Choice (Gramophone Magazine) June 2002

Thirteen years after his memorable recording of the first version of the Fauré Requiem - an intimate version first performed by the composer in 1892, at Saint-Gervais in Paris - Philippe Herreweghe here conducts the 1901 version for full orchestra commissioned by Fauré's publisher for performance in large concert halls. Fauré said of this masterpiece: 'My Requiem was composed for nothing… for pleasure, if I may say so!'

"As always with this conductor, the sheer sound is spellbinding." Ivan Hewett, The Times

"a performance of dark intensity, free from the cloying sentiment that can so easily afflict this beautiful work." Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph

"If you only hear the 'Sanctus', you will need no further persuading about the merits of this CD. In its evocation of the eternal, Philippe Herreweghe's performance is breathtaking. As you would expect from someone with well- established period credentials, there is not a note in his latest recording of the Faure Requiem that doesn't betray a concern for style. Ultimately, however, it's the unforced spirituality of his reading that counts, putting everything else into the shade. In a crowded field, Herreweghe stands out by a mile." Andrew Clark, Financial Times

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Philippe Herreweghe was born in Ghent and studied the piano at the Conservatory before going on to study medicine and psych-iatry. While still at medical school he founded the Collegium Vocale of Ghent and attracted the attention of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt who subsequently invited him to collaborate in their recordings of the complete Cantatas of Bach.

In an endeavour to do adequate justice to a repertory ranging from the Renaissance (Ensemble Vocal Européen) to modern and contemporary music, Philippe Herreweghe felt the need to create several ensembles of variable composition with whom he has made nearly fifty recordings for harmonia mundi. In 2000 the Collegium Vocale celebrated 30 years of a career devoted entirely to Bach and his forerunners and together with the Chapelle Royale, whose spe-cialties are French Baroque music and classical and romantic vocal works, has frequently collabor-ated with the Orchestre des Champs Elysées.

Philippe Herreweghe has appeared as guest conductor of ensembles like The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Concerto Köln, the Lyon Opera Orchestra, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Saarbruck Philharmonic, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Vienna Philharmonic. The artistic director of the Festival of Saintes since 1982, he was nominated Musical -Personality of the Year in 1990, European Musician of the Year in 1991, Cultural Ambassador of Flanders with his Collegium Vocale in 1993, Doctor Honoris Causa of Louvain University in 1997 and was awarded the order of Officier des Arts et Lettres in 1994.