Martin Requiem

 Day 181

Frank Martin Requiem

Soloists

Basel Sinfonietta 

Klauss Knall

I first came across the music of Frank Martin when I was still at school when I acquired an LP of his concerto for 7 wind instruments - I think that I had vague ideas of performing it with my fellow wind players at school, although of course it would have been far too difficult. Other than that I have heard his petite symphonie concertante but that it is about it for his music.

This setting of the requiem is a relatively modest work - about 30 mins - and is generally reflective rather than dramatic in tone. Even the Dies Irae is more of a contemplation than a picture of the last trump á la Verdi or Berlioz. I found it to be an impressive work. I couldn't find a score so my impressions are simply from listening but it did find it haunting and well worth another listen. The harmonic idiom hovers between tonality and atonality in the way that some late Britten pieces do - indeed listening to this cold you might have said that it was by Britten - the use of bells is highly characteristic of the latter. 

I'd like to hear it again with the benefit of a score to get a closer appreciation of the piece, but certainly on this first hearing I am inclined to explore more of Frank Martin's work.