Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842) was an Italian composer who spent most of his w… Read Full Bio ↴Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842) was an Italian composer who spent most of his working life in France. Although his music is not well known today, it was greatly admired in his time. Beethoven regarded him as the greatest of his contemporaries.
Cherubini was born Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini on 14th September 1760 in Florence. His instruction in music began at the age of six with his father, himself a musician. By the age of thirteen he had composed several religious works. From 1778 to 1780, he studied music in Bologna and Milan. Cherubini's early operas, settings of Italian libretti by Metastasio, adhered closely to the conventions of opera seria.
In 1788, Cherubini made a brief visit to London, where he started work on a setting of a French libretto by Jean-François Marmontel, Démophon. Cherubini's music began to show more originality and daring. Later the same year he settled in Paris. His first major success here was Lodoïska/i] (1791) which was admired for its realistic heroism. This was followed by Eliza (1794), set in the Swiss Alps, and Médée (1797), which is Cherubini's best-known work. Les deux journées (1800), in which Cherubini simplified his style somewhat, was a popular success. These and other operas were premiered at the Théâtre Feydeau.
Cherubini's popularity declined markedly after Les deux journées, with Parisian audiences turning to younger composers such as Boieldieu. His opera-ballet Anacréon was an outright failure. In 1805, Cherubini received an invitation from Vienna to write an opera and to direct it in person. Faniska was produced the following year and was enthusiastically received, in particular, by Haydn and Beethoven. Les abencérages (1813), an heroic drama set in Spain during the last days of the Moorish kingdom of Granada, was Cherubini's attempt to compete with Spontini's La Vestale. It brought the composer critical praise, but was given few performances.
Disappointed with his lack of success in the theater, Cherubini turned increasingly to church music, writing seven masses, two requiems and many shorter pieces. During this period, he was also appointed surintendant de la musique du roi under the restored monarchy (his relations with Napoleon had been decidedly cool). In 1815, the London Philharmonic Society commissioned him to write a symphony, an overture, and a composition for chorus and orchestra, the performance of which he went especially to London to conduct, and this increased his international fame.
Cherubini's requiem in C minor (1816), commemorating the anniversary of the execution of King Louis XVI of France, was a huge success. The work was greatly admired by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. In 1836, Cherubini wrote a requiem in D minor to be performed at his own funeral. It is for male choir only, as the religious authorities had criticised his use of female voices in the earlier work.
Although chamber music does not make up a large portion of his output, what he did write was important. Wilhelm Altmann, writing in his Handbuch für Streichquartettspielers (Handbook for String Quartet Players) about Cherubini's six string quartets,states that they are first rate, and regarded numbers 1 and 3 as masterworks. His string quintet for two violins, viola, and two cellos is also considered a first-rate work.
In 1822, Cherubini became director of the Conservatoire and completed his textbook, Cours de contrepoint et de fugue, in 1835. His role at the Conservatoire would bring him into conflict with the young Hector Berlioz, who went on to portray the old composer as a crotchety pedant in his memoirs. Some critics, such as Basil Deane, maintain that Berlioz's depiction has distorted Cherubini's image with posterity, and it must be remembered that Berlioz himself was a great admirer of much of Cherubini's music. There are many allusions to Cherubini's personal irritibality among his contemporaries; Adolphe Adam wrote, "some maintain his temper was very even, because he was always angry". Nevertheless, Cherubini had many friends, including Rossini, Chopin and, above all, the artist Ingres. The two had mutual interests: Cherubini was a keen amateur painter and Ingres enjoyed practising the violin. In 1841, Ingres produced the most celebrated portrait of the old composer.
Cherubini died in Paris on 15th March 1842 at the age of eighty-one, and was buried in Père Lachaise cemetery.
Cherubini was born Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini on 14th September 1760 in Florence. His instruction in music began at the age of six with his father, himself a musician. By the age of thirteen he had composed several religious works. From 1778 to 1780, he studied music in Bologna and Milan. Cherubini's early operas, settings of Italian libretti by Metastasio, adhered closely to the conventions of opera seria.
In 1788, Cherubini made a brief visit to London, where he started work on a setting of a French libretto by Jean-François Marmontel, Démophon. Cherubini's music began to show more originality and daring. Later the same year he settled in Paris. His first major success here was Lodoïska/i] (1791) which was admired for its realistic heroism. This was followed by Eliza (1794), set in the Swiss Alps, and Médée (1797), which is Cherubini's best-known work. Les deux journées (1800), in which Cherubini simplified his style somewhat, was a popular success. These and other operas were premiered at the Théâtre Feydeau.
Cherubini's popularity declined markedly after Les deux journées, with Parisian audiences turning to younger composers such as Boieldieu. His opera-ballet Anacréon was an outright failure. In 1805, Cherubini received an invitation from Vienna to write an opera and to direct it in person. Faniska was produced the following year and was enthusiastically received, in particular, by Haydn and Beethoven. Les abencérages (1813), an heroic drama set in Spain during the last days of the Moorish kingdom of Granada, was Cherubini's attempt to compete with Spontini's La Vestale. It brought the composer critical praise, but was given few performances.
Disappointed with his lack of success in the theater, Cherubini turned increasingly to church music, writing seven masses, two requiems and many shorter pieces. During this period, he was also appointed surintendant de la musique du roi under the restored monarchy (his relations with Napoleon had been decidedly cool). In 1815, the London Philharmonic Society commissioned him to write a symphony, an overture, and a composition for chorus and orchestra, the performance of which he went especially to London to conduct, and this increased his international fame.
Cherubini's requiem in C minor (1816), commemorating the anniversary of the execution of King Louis XVI of France, was a huge success. The work was greatly admired by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. In 1836, Cherubini wrote a requiem in D minor to be performed at his own funeral. It is for male choir only, as the religious authorities had criticised his use of female voices in the earlier work.
Although chamber music does not make up a large portion of his output, what he did write was important. Wilhelm Altmann, writing in his Handbuch für Streichquartettspielers (Handbook for String Quartet Players) about Cherubini's six string quartets,states that they are first rate, and regarded numbers 1 and 3 as masterworks. His string quintet for two violins, viola, and two cellos is also considered a first-rate work.
In 1822, Cherubini became director of the Conservatoire and completed his textbook, Cours de contrepoint et de fugue, in 1835. His role at the Conservatoire would bring him into conflict with the young Hector Berlioz, who went on to portray the old composer as a crotchety pedant in his memoirs. Some critics, such as Basil Deane, maintain that Berlioz's depiction has distorted Cherubini's image with posterity, and it must be remembered that Berlioz himself was a great admirer of much of Cherubini's music. There are many allusions to Cherubini's personal irritibality among his contemporaries; Adolphe Adam wrote, "some maintain his temper was very even, because he was always angry". Nevertheless, Cherubini had many friends, including Rossini, Chopin and, above all, the artist Ingres. The two had mutual interests: Cherubini was a keen amateur painter and Ingres enjoyed practising the violin. In 1841, Ingres produced the most celebrated portrait of the old composer.
Cherubini died in Paris on 15th March 1842 at the age of eighty-one, and was buried in Père Lachaise cemetery.
Requiem: Dies Irae
Luigi Cherubini Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Requiem: Dies Irae' by these artists:
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Karl Jenkins feat. West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra & Marat Bisengaliev Dies irae Dies illa Dies irae Dies illa Dies irae! dies ill…
Munchener Bach Choir and Orchestra Classical Sacred…
St. Florian Boys' Choir Dies irae, dies illa Solvet saeclum in favilla, Teste David…
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dies iræ, dies illa Solvet sæclum en favilla Teste davidcum …
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pascal mayer
Merci gioiellidellamusica , avec mon grand choeur , nous avons chanté cette immense et belle oeuvre avec l'orchestre d'Avignon . Marie-Louis-Charles-Zénobi-Salvador Cherubini (francisation approximative adoptée par Cherubini lui-même et mentionnée dans tous les documents postérieurs à 1790), né Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini le 14 septembre 1760 à Florence et mort le 15 mars 18421 à Paris, est un compositeur français d’origine italienne de la fin du xviiie et du début du xixe siècle, dont la carrière, à partir de 1787, s'est principalement déroulée en France .
Biographie
Jeunesse et formation
Fils d'un célèbre claveciniste, Luigi Cherubini étudie à Bologne (1778), puis à Milan (1778-1782), sous la direction de Giuseppe Sarti. Il fait alors la connaissance du compositeur tchèque Václav Pichl, maître de chapelle de l'archiduc Ferdinand d'Este, gouverneur autrichien de la Lombardie.
Débuts
En 1785, deux de ses œuvres sont jouées à Londres. Durant l'automne 1787, il est à Londres et est engagé par le roi pour qui il compose quelques morceaux, dont le King's Theatre.
Carrière en France
Fin 1787, il s'installe à Paris et il est nommé codirecteur du Théâtre de Monsieur en 1789, fonction qu'il abandonne en 1792. Se sentant financièrement à l'aise, il se marie le 12 avril 1794 à Anne Cécile Tourette, fille d'un contre-ténor, qui lui donnera trois enfants. La cérémonie a lieu à la chapelle royale de Louis XVI. En 1796, il est nommé inspecteur de l'enseignement au tout nouveau Conservatoire.
En 1816, il devient surintendant de la chapelle de Louis XVIII.
Il retrouve le Conservatoire, où il exerce comme professeur de composition, avant d'en devenir le directeur en 1822, fonction qu'il n'abandonnera que quelques semaines avant sa mort. Il s'efforce avec succès d'élever la qualité de l'ensemble de la formation. Il a aussi été actif dans l'organisation de manifestations publiques d'élèves, comme les exercices de musique et d'art dramatiques et a permis la naissance de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire.
Il a par ailleurs été un franc-maçon actif, membre de la loge Saint-Jean de Palestine du Grand Orient de France.
Son décès donne lieu à des funérailles nationales, durant lesquelles est joué son Requiem en ré mineur. Il est enterré au cimetière du Père-Lachaise (division 11, section VII). Son tombeau a été conçu par l'architecte Achille Leclère et comporte notamment un buste du compositeur, surmonté d'un bas-relief d'Auguste Dumont représentant La Musique.
Œuvres
Luigi Cherubini laisse 300 œuvres dont la plupart ont sombré dans l'oubli.
Julieseven
Aaah I still remember this from when we sang it in my high school choir! Such a powerful piece!!
Sophie de Vries
we were supposed to sing this (my school choir and me) but it was canceled due to covid and I'm kinda disappointed tbh, it's such a cool peace to sing, so much power and energie. chills everytime.
August Hendrikx
Vrije school sws
giovanni carena
Un Dies Irae, secondo me, inarrivabile. Intimo, dolce e drammatico, che rifugge dai virtuosismi dei solisti, per dare spazio al coro con una partitura che prende spunti da Pierluigi da Palestrina. Eccelso e moderno.
J P
I grew up listening to this recording as a child. It was one of the best and truly a great introduction to the Requiem Mass music
Maria Lucila GarciaMarcos
Maravilloso 👏👏👏👏
Rosita Farrés
Simplemente sublime. Me emociona
Marco Asya Baruffaldi
Adoro questo brano è spettacolare .
Allegro Christiano
Merci de m'avoir fait découvrir cette très belle version, impressionnante de vivacité dramatique !
L'équilibre entre les chœurs et l'orchestre est proche de la perfection !
Paul Nessfield
one of the truly great composers and under appreciated