Requiem in D minor by Gabriel Fauré - a mass of consolation

I first heard Fauré's Requiem when I was fourteen. At that time, my entire perception was focused on the creativity of one of the Viennese classics, the creator of the most famous mass of consolation - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Already during the concert where the work of the French composer was presented, I began to ponder a certain question that came to my mind at that time: how is it possible that two works devoted to the same theme can evoke such antagonistic impressions when compared to each other? The answer to this question may lie in the words of Fauré himself, his own concept of death. Death, understood as a moment of liberation from the pain and worries of everyday life, which constitutes a complete opposition to the Mozartian awareness of the inevitable end, which is almost shouted by every note of his mass masterpiece. Fauré expressed his views in one of the interviews given to Louis Aguettant: 'My Requiem... it has been said that it does not express fear of death; someone called it a lullaby of death. But I see death in this way: as a happy release, as a desire for a heavenly happiness, and not as a painful experience.' These very words, combined with personal experiences, directed my thoughts towards a kind of reflection on the specifics of individual word-music connections resulting from the interpretative and analytical issues of a given work, which I will try to briefly present in the further course of this text.

As I mentioned earlier, Fauré's approach to the issue of death, the very act of dying, was quite surprising. What impact did it have on the overall shape of the work? An atypical approach to the theme determines an atypical approach to the musical layer, to its form.

Firstly - instrumentation. Fauré almost completely abandons the violin parts in his composition, introducing them only in part III Sanctus, additionally, as a solo part, corresponding with the choir part. There is a noticeable tendency towards maximum chamberization of the ensemble and to emphasize the lowest registers of the accompaniment layer (altos, divided cellos). The orchestral tutti thus includes the following parts: horn I, II, III, and IV, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, harp, timpani, organ, altos I and II, cellos I and II, double basses. As for the vocal parts, Fauré predominantly used a mixed choir, separating from it in some sections a female and male choir, which are opposed to each other, remaining in a constant correspondence relationship. In the last section, a male choir appears. Solo parts were also introduced - soprano and baritone. I must admit that the absence of the violin section reminds me of one of Igor Stravinsky's works - Symphony of Psalms, however, the concept of instrumentation developed in this composition, where the emphasis is placed on the dark, gloomy sounds of the orchestra's bass sections, is a procedure contrary to the extremely subtle treatment of the sound of the alto section, extracting from it the quintessence of peace crystallizing throughout Fauré's entire Requiem.

Another problem is the texts developed within the mass. The very choice of them is surprising, as is the way they are arranged, which influences the atypical structure of the cycle. Requiem op. 48 consists of only seven sections: Introit combined with Kyrie, Offertoire, Sanctus, Pie Jesu, Agnus Dei - also containing the communio Lux aeterna, as well as Libera me and In Paradisum. According to the post-Tridentine principles defining liturgical requiem, a work of this type should contain texts of purely liturgical origin, while Fauré not only included two parts of funeral origin (the responsory Libera me and the antiphon In Paradisum) in his mass, but also abandoned the sequence Dies irae, except for its last two verses: 'Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis Requiem,' which were arranged as a separate number.

All the aforementioned issues serve as certain markers, allowing for the achievement of a higher level of accessibility of the depth that Fauré's work undoubtedly possesses, and allow for the experience of the fullness of artistic genius employing extremely refined means of musical expression, the application of which aims, apart from showcasing the beauty of music, to highlight the composer's own view on the act of dying and the fact of existence after death, the fact of the existence of a heavenly land - Paradise.

At the beginning, I emphasized that when interpreting the work of the French composer, attention should be focused on the individual word-music connections. The use of appropriate melo-rhythmic, harmonic, and dynamic phrases creates an atmosphere emanating from the very text itself. It is precisely these elements that we will focus on in the following text. In the entire mass, it is characteristic to start each section with an instrumental introduction, whose task is to introduce the listener into the appropriate mood and bring them closer to the overall emotional expression of a given fragment. Thus, according to the content being developed at a given moment, the subsequent fragments express calm, anxiety, joy, and a sense of melancholy. The tonality of the entire cycle is also significant, operating mainly in two tonalities, namely D minor and C major, which since the classical era have existed in the common awareness of the musical environment as appropriate designations - the tonality of D minor - despair, resignation, death - C major - the symbol of light, purity, innocence, the attribute of angelic nature. The instrumental layer does not remain indifferent to the textual layer. The use of appropriate connections of sections along with attention to their sound properties constitutes an ideal reflection of the emotional sphere of the textual layer. The use of the low register reflects the threat of death, for example in the introduction to the entire cycle, while in the Sanctus section, a high register of an additional obligato violin part appears, which draws the listener's attention to the glory and honor of the Lamb of God, whose praises are sung by the voices of the angelic choir. Another element is the melody, thanks to which individual words, entire phrases, exclamations, pleading prayers, and pious requests permeated with fear and trust in God's mercy are emphasized. This factor connects with the next, enriching it, namely rhythm, harmony, and dynamics, which enhance the overall expression of the entire word-music sections. The register used in a given fragment and the ambitus of the voices of the vocal-instrumental ensemble are also important, which, in conjunction with the previously mentioned elements, creates an inseparable expressive whole. The uniqueness of Fauré's composition, however, does not lie solely in the beauty and ingenuity of the melo-rhythmic phrases or the other musical means employed. The very choice of texts and the way they are treated, framed within the musical sense contained in the verbal text, is surprising. The general analysis of one of the sections of the discussed mass of consolation - Pie Jesu - may serve to illustrate this phenomenon. This incipit is actually the last of the verses of the Dies Irae sequence, in its expression of full horror and drama. Fauré treated this fragment quite atypically. According to the compositional practice, the entire sequence should undergo musical elaboration, while Fauré abandoned the inclusion of this link in his composition and only used the last two verses: 'Pie Jesu, Domine, dona eis requiem.' Moreover, he assigned them the function of a separate section. Pie Jesu is an aria for soprano, constituting the central point of the entire cycle. The solo voice is accompanied by an orchestra, which consists of 2 bassoons, harp, organ, I and II altos, I and II cellos, and double basses. The whole is characterized by a gentle flow of the melodic line and accompaniment, which is the result of the content conveyed by the concluding words of the sequence. It is a full plea of love from the Virgin Mary directed to her Son for grace and mercy for the deceased. The whole begins with the soprano part accompanied by the organ, where the accompaniment is conducted in chordal texture and its highest voice doubles the vocal line. In fact, the initial measures contain the quintessence of the entire section, as well as the entire cycle. The subtle, clear melodic line entrusted to the pure soprano voice, maintained in a piano dynamic and slow tempo, fills the soul of every listener with an unspeakable peace, which even finds its theoretical reference - Pie Jesu treated as a key moment of the entire Requiem, which the composer considered to be a reflection of happiness and the experience of relief resulting from the undeniable liberation of man, must be the sweetest, the most delicate in its expression of prayers (a plea for eternal peace). Hence, the accompanying layer has also been treated so sharply, composed of the string section, performing its part con sordino and the organ part (only occasionally introducing wind instruments). After this brief, yet full of extremely refined expression fragment, a three-measure orchestral link appears. From the entire ensemble, Fauré created as if two sections performing their parts in unison. The first, encompassing altos I, cellos I additionally treated as divisi and harp, introduces a four-note motif based on the oscillating movement, repeated four times, stopped on a long note. The second section, which includes II altos written as divisi, cellos II, and double basses, realizes a single melodic line at a distance of a third. This entire fragment closes with a stop of the orchestral part on a chord. The second statement of the soprano constitutes an analogous elaboration of the first verse with the introduction of certain harmonic changes, and consequently, also melodic ones. The third segment of the soprano part is an elaboration of the full text of the sequence: 'Pie Jesu, Domine, dona eis requiem, sempiternam requiem.' Here, there is a mutual interpenetration of both verses of the sequence. With the further development of the solo melodic line, there is a noticeable increase in the activity of the orchestral voices on the words: 'Sempiternam requiem.' In the subsequent parts, a gradually transformed oscillating motif appears. At the same time, in the vocal voice, one can observe a kind of 'stagnation' of the line. This impression arises from the exclusion of the oscillating values from the flow and the operation of a repeated rhythmic pattern, as well as through a decisive narrowing of the melody's ambitus. After the discussed fragment, there is a return to the material presented at the beginning of the section. The full sweetness of the soprano melody returns, but this time the accompaniment layer has been expanded by the string section, with altos I doubling the vocal line, and bassoons, which had only appeared in purely instrumental fragments until now. The material presented here undergoes further development. The elaborated text contains all the verses: 'Pie Jesu, Domine, dona eis requiem, sempiternam requiem.' However, Fauré breaks them into smaller parts and introduces their repetitions. The whole closes with the text spoken twice: 'sempiternam requiem.' It is significant that in the final phase of its flow, the vocal line rises upwards. Just like in the earlier segment, on these words, the four-note motif returns in the voices of the cellos and double basses, as well as in the part of the harp introduced here.

The section of Pie Jesu is perhaps the best evidence of Gabriel Fauré's concept of death. The section discussed above, located at the center of the mass cycle, probably constitutes the most beautiful and most emphatic reflection of the composer's thoughts on the inevitable and, it seems, expected end of human life.

Requiem in D minor Opus 48 by Gabriel Fauré is an extraordinary work. Not only the internal structure of the cycle attests to this fact. It is not just about the choice of texts, their atypical arrangement, and the introduction of fragments outside the mass liturgy. Such a surprising solution to the problem of instrumentation, the use of specific registers and types of sounds of particular orchestral voices does not constitute the essence of this composition. All these elements combine to create one, undoubtedly imposing an incredible effect on every recipient - the overall character and atmosphere in which Fauré created his mass, which is, after all, a mass of consolation. There are no fragments here that, in relation to Mozart's mass of consolation, evoke in the recipient the impression of an irresistible horror that accompanies the awareness of the act of dying. It is rather surprising that this cycle, instead of introducing the listener to nostalgic reflections on the inevitable end, evokes in them feelings of unspeakable delight, and moreover, through the beauty of music, allows for a longing for the beauty of life in heaven amidst the resounding sounds of the angelic choir.