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Requiem
Verdi, Robert Shaw, Toscanini
Requiem
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
  •  Track Listings (11) - Disc #2

This has long been the standard by which other recordings of Verdi's Requiem are measured. Many others have better sound engineering, you may prefer a soloist or even the chorus (perhaps a later group trained by Robert ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Verdi, Robert Shaw, Toscanini, NBC
Title: Requiem
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: RCA
Release Date: 7/1/1991
Genre: Classical
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Early Music, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 090266029921

Synopsis

Amazon.com
This has long been the standard by which other recordings of Verdi's Requiem are measured. Many others have better sound engineering, you may prefer a soloist or even the chorus (perhaps a later group trained by Robert Shaw) in one competing version or another, and it is quite possible to prefer the period-instrument sound of John Gardiner's taut interpretation. But no other conductor has matched the sheer intensity with which Arturo Toscanini translates the titanic and fearful vision of his friend Verdi into sound. This vision, which includes the end of the world, the dead rising from their graves and the assignment of each one either to heaven or to hell, is the climactic point of Verdi's epic style. The fillers are mostly interesting and inspiring, though Hymn of the Nations, a collage of national anthems, is one of Verdi's creative low points. --Joe McLellan

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CD Reviews

Hair-rising
Baker Sefton Peeples | Santa Cruz, CA United States | 02/03/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I listened to some of this Verdi requiem and the paint started to peel off of the walls. This is absolutely stunning, to say the least, and no one has ever made it this way the was toscanini has. The man knew Verdi, and was probably the most respected Verdi conductor of his time, making this a classic of the gramophone, and deservedly so. It is fortunate this has been preserved. Cesare siepi is excellent as the bass soloist. fedora barbieri is always nice, and so is di stefano, though he it not the greatest in "ingemisco." the sound here is a bit constricted, preventing true pianissimo, which toscanini was definitely capable of producing. His thrilling fortissimos nearly break the equipment they are so strong. incredible stuff."
Absolutely the best "Requiem" ever
madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 07/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Never a favorite of mine on LP - the sound was too thin, harsh and compressed - this performance of Verdi's "Requiem," given to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the composer's death, speaks volumes for the Toscanini "legend." It is a performance that satisfies both the intellect and the emotions, despite the fact that the "Ingemisco" and the "Offertorio" are conducted faster than I have ever heard them...nothing sounds rushed, the singers are excellent, and the performance has perfect balance and cohesion.However, I prefer the new 20-bit digital remastering to even this CD issue. To find my review there, enter "Arturo Toscanini" under Classical Music, scroll down the page, and click on "Conducts Verdi/Cherubini - Cho". This new reissue is coupled with Verdi's "Te Deum" and the Cherubini "Requiem," two great works which the maestro also conducts beautifully. This one isn't just an OK performance, it's a must for any collection."
Perhaps the classic performance of the "Requiem".
MORPHIE@MAILEXCITE.COM | Cheshire, Connecticut | 09/10/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)

"While Herva Nelli gives a more than credible performance, and Siepi demonstrates his potential greatness, this is, clearly, Toscanini's show. The NBC Orchestra is functioning on all cylinders, as is the Maestro. One can clearly hear Toscanini's exhortation(s): "Louder! Louder!" When the listener is aware of the fact that the Conductor was a close aquaintance of Verdi and, therefore, more than a mere casual interpreter of his work, the performance's meaning is enhanced."