Trotta Requiem by Tenebrae Choir
Michael John Trotta Requiem Album CD
Trotta Requiem by Tenebrae Choir
Requiem, Michael John Trotta
Tenebrae, Nigel Short, conductor
Unique in its ability to bring death and dying into the public conversation, the Requiem Mass has captivated the hearts and minds of all those who have experienced loss. On 3 May, American composer Michael John Trotta, one of the most exciting and prominent new composers of choral music, releases his seventh album, Requiem. Featuring award-winning choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, Requiem engenders a sense of hope and provides opportunity to continue healing.
Grounded in tradition, while incorporating a present-day harmonic language, Trotta’s Requiem for choir and organ features two Gregorian Chant motives interwoven throughout with lush harmonies and soaring melodies, exquisitely sung by Tenebrae. Originally commissioned by a consortium of choirs, Trotta sought to honour the Requiem tradition whilst bringing it to new listeners, whether in the liturgical setting or concert hall.
Trotta’s father passed away unexpectedly when he was seven, and music became his solace. He said: I spent a great deal of time playing and singing at funerals and fell in love with the choral masterworks of the genre: the gravitas of Brahms, the drama of Verdi, the tenderness of Faure and the juxtaposition of old and new in the Durufle. Having heard the words of the funeral liturgy (Requiem) so many times, it felt like a conversation between two voices: hope and fear, represented by the original chant motives of Requiem (rest) and Dies Irae (fear). This was healing for me.
Fuelled by a passion for combining tradition and innovation, Trotta creates music that resonates with modern audiences. From Carnegie Hall to cathedrals and concert halls, his significant output of music includes nine large scale choral-orchestral works. With an intimate knowledge of the human voice, and a rare sensitivity to the capabilities of a choral ensemble, he is a favourite conductor with ensembles around the world.
Requiem for choir and organ receives its world première in London on 8 May, when Trotta conducts Choir of the Earth and London Voices at St. Cyprian’s Clarence Gate. Released during Death and Dying Awareness Matters Week (6 – 12 May 2024), streaming revenue from the Requiem album during this period will go to Hospice UK, the national charity for hospice and end of life care. In addition, a charity single; Introit and Kyrie featuring London Symphony Orchestra, will be released ahead of the album with all proceeds raised also going to Hospice UK.
Available everywhere May 03, 2024
Trotta Requiem by Tenebrae
Choir and Organ Review:
One senses that Michael John Trotta’s life and musical world have always been affected by a sense of how we mark grief and solace. [He lost his father when aged seven and it was music that began to fill that empty space.] Trotta’s musical prayer for those who have gone beforeis a perfect balance of respectful homage to the great Requiems of the past – never explicitly quoted, but often alluded to – and a thoroughly modern compositional language that has two chant motifs running through it, balancing fear and succour. That it’s exquisitely sung by Nigel Short’s Tenebrae could reasonably be taken for granted, but they’re in exceptional form here, conveying a conviction that, even in the fearful unknown, there is hope.
Trotta Requiem by Tenebrae
From the blog: Toward Beauty
“Michael John Trotta writes passionate and lyrical sacred music – a series of words not everyone will string together. Reflecting on his music, I am aware of my inclination to find verbal analogies rooted in the visual arts. And so, parallel to how some painters, sensitive to the role of light in our perception of color, seek to mix several colors to achieve a particular hue, Trotta’s choral music strikes me as an effort to express a wide and full spectrum of harmonious sound.
My initial perception of his compositions, that he presents sacred music that is passionate and lyrical, may also be akin to my use of the word beauty in connection with the paintings of Jackson Pollack. In both cases, I may be expressing an unexpected conjunction of ideas that can, I believe, properly belong together. Trotta’s musical works inspire me to write about them in this way.
Those who love to hear large groups of voices singing in harmonic patterns, especially of examples from Renaissance and early English vocal music, as well as modern compositions influenced by them, may find a similar pleasure in hearing his work. For me, this is due to how Trotta’s original choral music and his arrangements provide a moving and also meditative listening experience.”
