Stanford Requiem

 Day 180

Stanford Requiem

Soloists

University of Birmingham Voices

CBSO

Martyn Brabbins

I've had limited exposure to the music of Stanford. Because I have never sung in church choirs I'm not familiar with the range of ecclesiastical music of his which still holds an important place in the repertory. I have heard a couple of his symphonies over the years but don't recall ever playing anything of his.

This Requiem is a full scale work from 1897 written in commemoration of Lord Leighton. While I enjoyed it I didn't get the sense that it was a neglected masterpiece. I don't think that Stanford had a sense of how to convey drama and so the more extrovert sections are rather foursquare and the fugues are rather hard going. On the other hand the more lyrical music is attractive - none more so that the Sanctus, which has some beautiful anitiphonal effects building to a strong climax. The harmonic style is largely conservative, as you would expect from a British composer writing in the late Victorian era, though there are some moments where you can certainly detect the influence of Wagner. 

A work certainly worth hearing, though I can't imagine that it will ever get many live performances. There has been something of a Stanford revival in recent years and most of his music is now available on record so perhaps there are other pieces worth exploring.