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Tristia: Requiems for Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette

Le Concert Spirituel/Niquet

,Barbican Hall
black and white photo of hervé niquet

Requiem masses for murdered royalty: two powerful choral works from post-Revolutionary France, performed by their foremost contemporary champions.

As peace returned to Europe after 1815, France mourned what it had lost. These two large scale mass settings were composed in memory of the guillotined King Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette. Monumental in scale and tragic in scope, they make an unforgettable impact.

For Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel, they’re more than just unique historical documents, and critics have acclaimed the wholehearted commitment and unmistakably French character of their recording of both works. Charles-Henri Plantade’s Requiem is a real rediscovery, but in the hands of Niquet and his team, it’s clearer than ever why Cherubini’s setting was regarded as a masterpiece by Beethoven and Berlioz – whose rarely-heard Tristia provides a moment of melancholy reflection at the heart of this fascinating programme.

Tagged with: Classical music Barbican Presents 2018-19

The performance is expected to finish around 9.30pm, including a 20 minute interval.

Programme

Plantade Requiem in D minor, in memory of Marie-Antoinette
Berlioz Tristia
Cherubini Requiem in C minor, in memory of Louis XVI

Performers

Le Concert Spirituel
Hervé Niquet conductor

Discover

album cover of cherubini et plantades

Listen: Requiems for Louis XVi and Marie-Antoinette

Listen to Cherubini's and Plantade's Requiems.

an orchestra playing classical music in the barbican hall in central london

Listen: Classical Music on Spotify

Follow our regularly updated Classical Music playlist for a sample of the music you'll hear across our programme. 

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