Fauré: Requiem (1888) Chœur de Chambre de Namur, Millenium Orchestra & Thibaut Lenaerts

• Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924): Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11:
• 1 Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11 05:06
• En prière:
• 2 Fauré: En prière 02:13
• Madrigal, Op. 35:
• 3 Fauré: Madrigal, Op. 35 03:59
• André Messager (1853 - 1929): Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville:
• 4 Messager: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville: I. Kyrie 04:37
• Gabriel Fauré: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville:
• 5 Fauré: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville: II. Gloria 04:01
• 6 Fauré: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville: III. Sanctus 01:58
• André Messager: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville:
• 7 Messager: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville: IV. O salutaris 02:27
• Gabriel Fauré: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville:
• 8 Fauré: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville: V. Agnus Dei 02:44
• 2 Motets, Op. 65:
• 9 Fauré: 2 Motets, Op. 65: No. 1, Ave verum corpus 03:23
• 2 Songs, Op. 47:
• 10 Fauré: 2 Songs, Op. 47: No. 2, Maria Mater Gratiae 02:26
• 2 Motets, Op. 65:
• 11 Fauré: 2 Motets, Op. 65: No. 2, Tantum ergo sacramentum 02:23
• Requiem, Op. 48 (Original Version):
• 12 Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48 (Original Version): I. Introït & Kyrie 06:08
• 13 Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48 (Original Version): II. Sanctus 03:11
• 14 Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48 (Original Version): III. Pie Jesu 03:24
• 15 Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48 (Original Version): IV. Agnus Dei 04:48
• 16 Fauré: Requiem, Op. 48 (Original Version): V. In Paradisum 03:35
• Total Runtime 56:23

Info for Fauré: Requiem (1888)

The Requiem "composed for no particular purpose...", as Gabriel Faure wrote, was performed for the first time in the Madeleine Church in Paris on 16 January 1888, "for the funeral of some parishioner"! It is this original performance version, without the Offertory and the Libera me, with accompaniment provided only by a string ensemble (violas, cellos and double bass), organ and harp, that is presented here in a world premiere recording. The Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville (1881), composed in Normandy in collaboration with Andre Messager, is far removed from the solemnities of the great Parisian church; it's original version was written for women's voices with harmonium and violin accompaniment. The Choeur de Chambre de Namur invites us to return to these origins as we mark the centenary of Gabriel Faure's death in 1924.

Caroline Weynants, soprano
Choeur de Chambre de Namur
Millenium Orchestra
Thibaut Lenaerts, direction

Caroline Weynants
is a Belgian soprano specialising in baroque music. She is renowned for her many collaborations with top-quality international ensembles and her extensive discography. Trained at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège (Belgium), where she obtained a Higher Singing Diploma (2003) as well as a First Prize in Chamber Music, she worked on all repertoires, from early music to contemporary music.

In 1998 she joined the Namur Chamber Choir (Centre d'Art Vocal & de Musique Ancienne - CAV&MA), where she forged her career as a choral singer and soloist under the direction of renowned conductors such as M. Minkowski, S. Kuijken, J. Tubéry, J-C. Malgloire, G. Van Waas, F. Bernius, P. Dombrecht, P. Davin, Ph. Pierlot, L. García Alarcón. She has performed with the finest European baroque music ensembles: La Fenice (J. Tubéry), Les Agrémens (G. Van Waas), Il Fondamento (P. Dombrecht), Il Gardellino (M. Ponseele, Jan de Winne), Cappella Mediterranea (L. García Alarcón), Lauda Musica, La grande chapelle (A. Recasens), Les Muffatti, Correspondances (S. Daucé) and Vox Luminis (L. Meunier).

These collaborations have given rise to a number of recordings, including C.P.E. Bach: Lukas Passion with Il Fondamento, or Grétry: Céphale et Procris with Les Agrémens; Bach: Desire - Cantatas 32, 49 & 154 with Il Gardellino or Falvetti: Il diluvio Universale or Nabucco with L. Garcia Alarcòn. Charpentier's Sacred Stories with Correspondances, Handel's Dixit Dominus with Vox Luminis, and much more!

Caroline Weynants has sung at numerous festivals in Europe - the Ambronay festival, the Beaune baroque opera festival, the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles, the Bourg-en-Bresse festival, Lyon, Lessay, Sablé, La Chaise Dieu, Périgueux. In Belgium, at the Flanders and Wallonia festivals; and at festivals and major venues in Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Canada and the United States.

Thibaut Lenaerts
A graduate of the Royal Conservatories of Liège and Mons, Thibaut Lenaerts began his career with the great European Baroque ensembles as a soloist and singer, including La Chapelle Royale, Le Concert Spirituel, Les Arts Florissants and Les Musiciens du Louvre, under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe, Hervé Niquet, William Christie and Marc Minkowski.

He is an active member of the Chœur de chambre de Namur as a singer and ensemble coach. Since 2014, he has been assistant to conductor Leonardo Garcia Alarcon. At the latter's request, he has been appointed conductor at the Opéra national de Paris for the 2019 production of Les Indes Galantes. For the Chœur de chambre de Namur, he also assists various conductors, including Christophe Rousset for, among others, the complete recordings of Lully's operas.

He is also choral director of Les Arts Florissants for various productions (Handel's L'Allegro, Bach's St John Passion, Campra's Requiem). In June 2024, Thibaut Lenaerts will conduct Mitridate in Brussels for the Mozartiades. Thibaut Lenaerts teaches at the Royal Conservatories of Brussels and Liège. He has taken part in some sixty recordings.

With Philippe Riga (Erard piano), he has recorded an album devoted to the melodies of Fauré (Muso / Alpha label), as well as an album devoted to the choral works of César Franck, in which he conducts the Chœur de chambre de Namur (Musique en Wallonie label). This summer, he will conduct and record a previously unreleased version of Fauré's Requiem with the Chœur de chambre de Namur for the Ricercar label.

Booklet for Fauré: Requiem (1888)