Fauré, Gabriel: Messe basse

for three female voices (solo and choir), and organ or harmonium

The motets and choral pieces, composed with the distinctive features of the Madeleine organ in mind, enchant with their colourful, floating harmonies and convey a certain intimacy even with their ritualized Latin texts. These works are very well suited for performances by small vocal ensembles. A novelty is the inclusion of the double bass part (ad libitum) which does not appear consistently in the first editions but corresponds to the musical practice at the Madeleine. Numerous gems such as the “Cantique de Jean Racine” or the “Messe basse” are published in performing editions based on the musical text of the “Gabriel Fauré – Œuvres complètes”.