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Essential Cherubini

Ten years older than Beethoven, Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842) was born in Florence but had become a fully naturalised French citizen by the end of the century. His earliest successes were with pioneering French operas that much influenced Beethoven, but he turned increasingly to church music, including a pair of highly regarded Requiem Masses.

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Among a string of operas, the finest is the bloodthirsty 'Médée', whose challenging title-role remains a favourite with sopranos. Napoleon found Cherubini's music too complex but nevertheless appointed him director of music in Vienna, where his operas found a ready audience. Returning to Paris, he was unable to compete on the operatic stage with younger composers such as Boieldieu and Spontini, and so turned to the composition of church music. His C minor Requiem, composed for the anniversary of the execution of Louis XVI, remains an occasional visitor to the repertoire, and he later composed a second Requiem, for male voices, to be performed at his own funeral. As an old man, he was director of the Paris Conservatoire and friendly with Rossini and Chopin, although Berlioz thought him a crotchety old pedant. The best of his music has a unique dramatic force, a characteristic that extends from his vocal music to his few orchestral and chamber works.