Search - Andreas Schmidt, Johannes Brahms, Claudio Abbado :: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op.45

A prestige recording that didn't have to be this smooth

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Herbert von Karajan specialized in the German Requiem, which he recorded four times over five decades, so one has to ask what Abbado has to offer that's new. The answers are mostly tehcnical. The Berlin Phil. has been recorded much more clearly than it ever was for Karajan's verions. The two choruses, anchored by the profesional singers of the Eric Ericson ensemble, exceed in clarity and skill the amateurs of the Vienna Singverein, which Karajan always used in this work. If you want a prestige recording and a memento of a live 1992 concert, this CD can't be faulted.



The two vocal soloists are also quite fine. Andreas Schmidt has been gifted with one of the most beautiful, firm, resonant baritones of his generation, while Cheryl Studer is caught in her prime and suffers no difficulties in her soaring but treacherous solo. The main sticking point is that Abbado has drained a good deal of the drama out of the German Requiem, giving us a smooth and steady, rich-toned lesson in calmness. These musicians are too good to be called boring, and Abbado's conducting isn't slack like Barenboim's on Teldec or slick like Maazel's on Sony.



In fact, this is probably the best choral work I've heard from Abbado. If only there were more passsion and vibrancy. As it stands, the results are never less than beautiful."

Brahms*Ein Deutsches Requiem

Gary Hatch | Oak Creek, Wi. | 06/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is my humble opinion that in the world of classical music, for those of us who are purists, this particular cd is perhaps one of the absolutely best that classical has to offer! The music is astounding in that it takes you to places you have never been before, and your soul is carried away to a place that can only be described as a heavenly place for all music lovers. I endorse this cd as an absolute must, for those who fully appreciate what classical music has to offer."