James Holmes et al. in New York City - 13 November, 1989

from Lies: A Diary 1986-1999, page 179:

The Ascension last night with JH to hear the first of three Duruflé homages. Performances of grand clarity (by organists McNeil Robinson and John Walker, and by Dennis Keene's big choir with Maureen Forrester, age 59 and hardly the worse for wear) but the music doesn't merit the attention. (Well, maybe once.) It's at all times gorgeous, but over-solemn and soundtracky. Like Les Six, without the camp or control, or like Messiaen without the outrageous harmonic sedition. The Requiem is slow from start to finish, using Gregorian chant exclusively for its tunes. Well, with …   more >>

cite as

Ned Rorem, Lies: A Diary 1986-1999 (New York, 2002), p. 179. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1437558096712 accessed: 3 December, 2024

location of experience: New York City

Listeners

James Holmes
Organist, choir conductor, Kapellmeister
1939-1999
Ned Rorem
Critic, essayist, Composer, Diarist […]
1923-

Listening to

hide composers
Requiem
written by Duruflé, Maurice, 1902-1986
performed by Maureen Forrester

Experience Information

Date/Time 13 November, 1989
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, indoors, in public

Originally submitted by pashworth on Wed, 22 Jul 2015 10:41:37 +0100
Approved on Tue, 02 Feb 2016 14:22:25 +0000