Filmed during the CD recording (Naxos) of Requiem pour la Paix (Requiem for Peace) by Henri Tomasi, this film highlights a crucial moment in the life of the composer during the second world war. The Philharmonic Orchestra of Marseille, Regional Choir of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur and the Departmental Choir of the Alpes Maritimes are conducted by Michel Piquemal. The soloists are Marie-Paule Lavogez, soprano; Jacqueline Mayeur, mezzo-soprano; Michel Pastor, tenor; and Didier Henry, baritone.

Mezzo Channel’s description of the film:

Composed in the midst of the turbid final years of WWII, Henri Tomasi’s ‘Requiem for Peace’ surprises the auditor. It was to be played only twice: in Paris in 1946, and in Baden-Baden, in memory of the martyrs of the Resistance. To mark the hundredth anniversary of Henri Tomasi’s birth, this monumental work, along with the entire collection of his other compositions, is back in the spotlight. The Lost Requiem methodically follows this recreation under the baton of Michel Piquemal, who introduces his musicians – and viewers – to a page of history. With the support of exceptional family archives, we discover the interweaving of History and the tormented depths of the composer and his work.

Programming on Mezzo, 2004

After having shown the film four times in 2001, and again in November-December 2003, Chaîne Mezzo has programmed it again on the following dates in March, 2004:

Friday, 19 March at 9:50pm
Monday, 22 March at 4pm
Thursday, 25 March at 5:55pm
Saturday, 27 March at 3:30am
Wednesday, 31 March at 5am.