His Requiem was the result of a joint commission from Radio France, the Koussevitsky Music Foundation and the French Ministry of Culture. This recording was made at the first performance, and given that successive days are indicated, the concert was perhaps followed by a patching session. There are a few audience noises, but nothing to disturb the listener, and there is no applause at the end. The recording is very fine, comfortably accommodating the vast forces whilst at the same time allowing for the intimacy required when those forces are sparingly employed. The performance of this monstrously difficult work is heroic and astonishingly fine.