Since we all have to die, it is better to meet death dancing
Since we all have to die, it is better to meet death dancing: this is what Jean Gilles‘ Requiem seems to tell us. Fans of French baroque music are familiar with him as an exponent of the religious repertoire of the golden age of the Sun King. Gilles’ masterly requiem for chorus, orchestra and vocal soloists exudes transparency, coherence and – paradoxically enough – life. In this requiem, the notion of eternal light clears even the most clouded sky. No wonder that this work could be heard at just about every French funeral in the 18th century, including those of such celebrities as Jean-Philippe Rameau and Louis XV. In this long-awaited joint venture with Vox Luminis, B’Rock combines Gilles’ Requiem with two melancholy landmarks from 17th-century England: Dowland’s Lachrymae and Henry Purcell’s Funeral Sentences.