‘Mighty Palestrina, old master, ancient genius’

From the CD-Book Charles Gounod, Cantates et musique sacrée - collection Prix de Rome.

Faith, Palestrina, Italy: those were the three revelations received by Charles Gounod – a true Parisian who swore only by Beethoven, Rossini and Weber, and a Catholic by baptism rather than conviction – during his stay at the Villa Medici. His academic stay in Rome (1840-1842), then Vienna (1842-1843), was marked by the composition of his first important art songs, ‘Le Soir’, ‘Le Vallon’ and ‘Lamento’, and by a blossoming of works of religious inspiration: a neo-Palestrinian Te Deum for two choirs (apparently lost), a Symphonie dramatique on the life of Jesus Christ (unfinished), and above all a Messe à grand orchestre, the motet Christus factus est, an unaccompanied Vokalmesse and the Hymne sacrée, all of which are presented on this première recording. Finally, his vast and powerfully minimalist Requiem still awaits performance.