The Faure Requiem was begun in 1886 and finished in the first weeks of 1888. Unlike other requiems, this piece has no sense of doom or angst. It expresses no fear of death, but rather depicts the reaching for eternal happiness. Warm and comforting, this work is a rare gem in the French repertoire. Durufle's greatest known work was his Requiem written in 1947. At the time it was commissioned, Durufle was composing a suite for organ solo based on the Gregorian chants of the Mass for the Dead. It was this suite that was expanded and transformed to become the requiem. The insightful interpretation and superb performance of these requiems by Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is unmatched. This release received a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Classical Recording.