# Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842)



## millionrainbows

These string quartets are the only thing I have by him, but they are good - very good, in fact as good as much of Beethoven, I dare say. It was known that Beethoven held Cherubini in high regard; there's no telling how he might have influenced LBV. I know that Cherubini has other admirers out there, so educate me as to the best 'next-step' recordings of his music.


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## Taneyev

IMO, his 6 string quartets and string quintet are the best Italian chamber music of the 19Th.century. And the recording by the Melos quartet, one of the best of all string quartets of past century.


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## Ukko

His Symphony number 3 is a masterpiece, sounding neither Italian nor French (where he worked) nor German; just fine.


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## Novelette

His seldom heard Requiem in D Minor is every bit as wonderful as his C Minor Requiem.

As for his other masses, I thank Maestro Muti for recording them so finely. I love Cherubini, that's why I made him my avatar and profile picture.


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## Vaneyes

I'm not convinced yet, but I thank this threads contributors for keeping the name alive. millionrainbows chamber suggestions may provide me some restart. :tiphat:


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## Novelette

Cherubini was a man of obstinate adherence to the forms established by his beloved Haydn, some such a Berlioz would even consider him pathologically conservative, however, Cherubini had an uncommon mastery of music and harmony.

In fact, as far as music theory goes, Cherubini was the first to give a plausible, theoretical, justification for the avoidance of parallel fifths, namely, that it creates two tonalities simultaneously and is thus "offensive" to the ear. Mendelssohn and, later, Brahms would accept this explanation.

As far as Beethoven goes, Cherubini had an aversion to Beethoven's music, as did most French artists [according to Berlioz], when Beethoven's music was first introduced to the Society of the Conservatoire and the Royal Academy of Music. Beethoven's music was held to be brusque and unrefined, teeming with "crude modulations and wild harmonies". The first performances of Beethoven's music in France was allowed by the Society only after extensive "corrections" to the music. Then, only a single movement of a symphony [usually the second movement of Beethoven's 7th] was put between other works at a concert. The public became enamored of the music, and the "uncorrected" music began to be played and accepted with greater frequency. Much like Chopin, Cherubini felt the music usually too noisy and too turbulent. I believe that Cherubini never changed that opinion, being a man of unusual strictness with respect to the "propriety" of music.

So Cherubini's music is usually very faithful to the _forms_ of Haydn, but that does not mean that his music is without great expressive power. In fact, I have to agree that Cherubini was the greatest French composer, in my opinion, between Rameau and Berlioz. We can generously forgive Cherubini's hardened opinions in light of the incredible brilliance of his music.

His string quartets are remarkably under-appreciated. Cherubini paralleled Beethoven's trait of freeing the viola and the cello from a merely accompanying role, whereto each instrument [as indeed like each voice in a Bach fugue] has a fully independent and equal role in the music. Easily, Cherubini's are among the greatest string quartets of the era. Often charming, frequently tragic, always expressive, always masterful.

It is to be hoped that more of Cherubini's operas will find themselves to be recorded sometime soon. Medea is a tremendous opera, but Cherubini wrote so many more. Having looked at some of the scores, it is clear that they are all worthy and substantial works.


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## Joachim Raff

Performed with large orchestra on modern instruments.

Cherubini: Overture in G Major2
Cherubini: Symphony in D Major6
Cherubini: Marche religieuse pour le jour du sacre de Charles X
Cherubini: Marche religieuse pour le pompe funèbre du Général Hoche
Cherubini: Marcia composta per il signore Baron di Braun
Cherubini: Marche du préfet du département de l'eure et loir
Cherubini: Marche pour le retour du préfet du département de l'eure et loir
Cherubini: Marche pour instruments à vent
Cherubini: Marche 22 Septembre 1810
Cherubini: Marche 8 Février 1814
Cherubini: Marche pour le pompe funèbre du Général Hoche
Cherubini: Marche funèbre


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## fbjim

I don't have the theoretical chops to really explicate this, but his string quartets (I got the DG set) are fabulous. Biographically he reminds me a lot of Camille Saint-Saens, in that they don't so much fall between styles as their long lifespans and careers caused them to bridge them awkwardly. 

I generally don't like vocal work, but non-soloistic choral works are an exception, so I'm excited to give some of his sacred music a shot.


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