Requiems of many composers tend to run from one extreme to another. Either they are powerhouse epics meant to celebrate the departed or they are morose journeys into the darkness of the afterlife. Durufle has found a  middle ground that evokes a vision of death that is ethereal and spiritual.  There a moments of musical perfection, especially in the first movement and  the blending of chant with the harmonics of 20th century composition make  for a blend that will be heaven to the ears.