Musica Sacra: Requiem

Fauré's Requiem departs from the traditional requiem mass in several respects.

 In contrast to the traditional course of the mass, and in particular to the compositions of Hector Berlioz and Giuseppe Verdi, Fauré dispenses with a dramatized depiction of the Dies irae and confines himself to setting its final verse, the Pie Jesu. In contrast, he added the In paradisum from the Exequies, which is traditionally played when the body is transferred from the church to the cemetery. Overall, Fauré was keen to paint a peaceful picture of death. In many passages, the minor-key sounds of the choir and orchestra glide into atmospheric major chords and give a comforting glimpse of the kingdom of heaven.