Western Reserve Chorale presents Requiem in C minor

Western Reserve Chorale at Grace Lutheran Church in Cleveland Heights. Photo by Ronald Wilson.

Beethoven called Luigi Cherubini "the greatest living composer" and claimed that if he himself should write a requiem, his only model would be Cherubini's"Requiem in C minor." The piece was performed at Beethoven's memorial service.

The Western Reserve Chorale will present the Cherubini's work as part of its second concert of the 2009-10 season, on March 21, at 7:00 p.m., at Grace Lutheran Church, 13001 Cedar Road. 

The "Requiem in C minor," by turns ethereal, highly dramatic and ultimately transcendent, was triumphantly premiered on Jan. 21, 1817, in a memorial concert before the abbey church of St. Denis to commemorate the anniversary of the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The bodies of the long-deposed monarchs had been searched for and found a few years earlier and were finally being laid to rest in the crypt of St. Denis. The success of Cherubini's "Requiem" was immediate. It was so overwhelming that Berlioz claimed that it gained a virtual monopoly over memorial concerts in France. 

Schumann stated that the work was "without equal in the world." Brahms called it "marvelous." The "Requiem" is scored for a conventional orchestra. It is the first requiem to include a gong in the percussion section, and in order to avoid comparison with his earlier operatic style of composition, Cherubini wrote his"Requiem in C minor" without any solo parts.

This free concert will be followed by a reception. The church is wheel chair accessible and parking is free. Call 216-791-0061 or visit www.westernreservechorale.org for more information.

Susan Marshall, a Cleveland Heights resident, is a singing member and treasurer for the Western Reserve Chorale.