Concert Pulse
This season
In Dresden
In Dresden
Sir Donald with Debussy
Kulturpalast Dresden, Konzertsaal (Dresden)
Claude Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" is a masterpiece of Impressionism. Inspired by a poem by the Symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé, the music paints the picture of a dreaming faun on a warm afternoon. With floating flute sounds and gentle harmonies, Debussy transports us into a world between dream and reality – a sensory delight in sound. Not many works of the 20th century are as naturally included in concert programs today as the music of Maurice Duruflé, who passed away in 1986. Particularly his sacred vocal music continues to enjoy enduring popularity, surely also due to its accessible musical language. Duruflé had little interest in breaking with tradition; in his 1947 Requiem, he engaged with the model of the two generations older Gabriel Fauré and let his enthusiasm for Gregorian chant run free. However, the work is not backward-looking: Contrary to the operatic settings of the Requiem in the 19th century, Duruflé focused less on the pains of the Last Judgment and more on the otherworldly redemption. Chief conductor Sir Donald Runnicles and the MDR Radio Choir infuse this work with a special intensity through their sensitivity and beauty of sound.