A third of December has already passed. As usual, the year has flown by in an instant, and it was a year that I was able to get through thanks to the help and support of many people.
It's been five years since I started making YouTube cards for New Year's greetings. This year's card is Pie Jesu from Requiem by Gabriel Fauré.
Pie Jesu means merciful Jesus. The lyrics are very short.
| Pie Jesus Domine, | Merciful Lord Jesus, |
| dona eis request, | Grant them rest, |
| sempiternam requiem. | Rest that lasts forever. |
This is repeated.
For many people today, "Pie Jesu" is associated with Andrew Lloyd Webber.1"Pie Jesu" is a beautiful piece, but Saint-Saëns wrote to Fauré, "Your 'Pie Jesu' is the only 'Pie Jesu', just as Mozart's 'Ave Verum' is the only 'Ave Verum'."2That's right, for me, this is the song that comes to mind when I think of "Pie Jesu."
By the way, I've also included my previous recording of "Ave Verum" here.
Well then
Happy Holidays!
footnote
- A track from Requiem (1985). I personally think the influence of Fauré is quite evident.
- (source)KANZAKI, Masahide"Faure: Requiem lyrics and music"https://www.kanzaki.com/music/ecrit/faure-requiem.html By the way, this page is very informative and I highly recommend you read it.