Back in June, musical polyglot Rufus Wainwright took time out from touring his Grammy-nominated Folkocracy album to premiere his latest stage production, Dream Requiem, at the Auditorium de Radio France in Paris with Meryl Streep acting as narrator for one night only.

Originally broadcast live via ARTE and France Musique – and still available on YouTube – the recording has now been announced for a physical release via Warner Classics on 17 January. Performing alongside Streep are the Mikko Franck-conducted Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio France chorus and children's choirs, and Berlin-based soprano Anna Prohaska.

Based on an apocalpytic poem written by Lord Byron and the Latin Mass for the Dead, Dream Requiem reflects on the devastating losses of the pandemic and the bleak ecological future ahead, with a glimmer of hope in its epic conclusion. Writing in a press release, Wainwright describes it as "a Requiem for human contact, solidarity and the human voice that have all become dangerous and contagious," adding:

“No matter what one’s [spiritual] leanings are, as an artist when dealing with a strong and ancient sacred text revolving around death, you kinda have to go there. This, I humbly believe, happened while composing Dream Requiem. Be it turning 50 and my final earthly landscape beginning to form on the horizon; my latent catholic upbringing which, though not strict, was still incredibly impactful; or just the fact that this ain’t my first time at the rodeo; many strong forces converged in the composition of this piece and not once was I lacking in a sense of direction.”

Listen to centerpiece "Sequentia V: Confutatis" below:

Further performances of Dream Requiem are scheduled for next year, with Jane Fonda already announced as the narrator for the Los Angeles date in early May. “It’s a privilege to work with such talented musicians, artists, and visionaries to bring this remarkable vision to life,” says Fonda. The Amsterdam date in June will be narrated by Dutch actor Carice van Houten, perhaps best known internationally as the priestess Melisandre from Game of Thrones. Current dates listed below, with additional performances to be added in Finland, Germany, Greece and Ireland.

01/25 Barcelona, Spain @ Palau de la Musica
05/04 Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall
06/20 Amsterdam,The Netherlands @ Concertgebouw