Requiem (Messa de' morti) in C minor (Vocal Score) Cover Image

Requiem (Messa de' morti) in C minor (Vocal Score): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

$16.95 USD

Requiem (Messa de' morti) in C minor (Vocal Score): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

Name: Requiem (Messa de' morti) in C minor (Vocal Score): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 98-EP73044A
Price: 16.95 USD
Availability: InStock

For Soprano, Alto, Choir and Orchestra, First Edition, Urtext

By Francesco Durante

Item: 98-EP73044A

$16.95

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The Requiem in C minor by Francesco Durante (1684–1755) is one of the most important works of this genre written in the first half of the 18th century. In his Messa de’ morti, Durante shows great creativity in combining traditional elements of church music with new ideas originating from instrumental writing and opera. The quality and originality of his Requiem make it an exciting rediscovery with the potential to establish itself as a core repertoire work of sacred choral music.

Mainly known today as the teacher of Pergolesi and Paisiello, Durante spent much of his life working as music director at various conservatories in Naples and enjoyed great renown as a church composer well into the 19th century. Despite its widespread popularity, indicated by the number of manuscript copies to be found across Europe, his Requiem never appeared in print. For this first publication, editor and leading British choral director Stephen Darlington has consulted many of the approximately 50 surviving sources of the work, presenting a critical edition which for the first time makes Durante’s Requiem available to a wider musical audience.

First publication
Urtext edition
Particularly suitable for smaller choirs and ensembles: soprano and alto solo, double choir (SSATB ATB) and strings (plus 2 horns in the Tuba mirum)
Full score and orchestral material also available (EP73044)

This edition of Durante’s Requiem has been recorded by Stephen Darlington, with Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral Choir, soloists from The Sixteen and Oxford Baroque.

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Series: Edition Peters

Publisher: Edition Peters

Page Count: 116

ISBN10: 0-57-701342-4

ISBN13: 979-0-5770-1342-8

SKU: 98-EP73044A

More about this title

About the Composer: Francesco Durante

Francesco Durante (1684–1755) occupied a central position in Neapolitan musical life during the early 18th century. As maestro di cappella at the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo and later at other major conservatories, he shaped the compositional voices of Giovanni Pergolesi and Giovanni Paisiello, two of the era's most celebrated composers.

Durante's reputation rested primarily on his sacred music, which earned him recognition throughout Europe as a master of church composition. His Requiem survived in approximately 50 manuscript copies scattered across the continent, testament to its circulation and esteem among musicians long after his death. Yet this monumental work remained unpublished for nearly three centuries, known only through hand copies, until this edition restored it to active musical life.

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Why we love this

Durante's Requiem merges the architectural clarity of traditional liturgical forms with the harmonic sophistication and dramatic momentum of operatic writing, creating a work that feels both reverent and strikingly modern. Stephen Darlington's critical edition draws on multiple surviving sources to present an authoritative text, making one of the 18th century's most significant sacred works genuinely accessible. The scoring for soprano and alto soloists, double choir, and strings scales elegantly for ensembles that lack the resources for larger choral forces, while the music's emotional depth and technical interest satisfy ambitious programs.

What to expect

The Requiem unfolds with a sense of baroque grandeur tempered by intimate introspection, particularly in the solo passages. Harmonic surprises and unexpected key shifts create moments of vulnerability and spiritual weight, while the double-choir texture offers both austere simplicity and moments of overwhelming richness.

Who it's for

This vocal score suits choirs of intermediate to advanced experience seeking substantial sacred repertoire that avoids the most commonly performed Requiems. Directors building programs around Italian sacred music, as well as those serving church contexts with strong choral traditions, will find Durante's work both liturgically appropriate and musically rewarding.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the two choirs carefully in passages where they overlap; the lower choir (ATB) should support rather than compete with the full five-part texture.
Shape the solo sections (soprano and alto) with operatic flexibility in phrasing and dynamic response, allowing the soloists to breathe expressively between phrases.
Attend to the harmonic language throughout; Durante's use of unexpected modulations and chromatic writing creates moments of genuine harmonic tension that modern choirs sometimes rush past.
Work the orchestral parts with your accompanists early in rehearsal so the string writing and horn punctuations land with clarity and support the choir's phrasing.

How to use it

Position this as a centerpiece for a concert exploring Italian sacred music of the early 18th century, pairing it with shorter motets or psalms by Durante's contemporaries. It also functions powerfully as a complete concert work on its own, offered in a church or concert hall setting that allows listeners to experience the full spiritual arc of the liturgy.