Requiem; No. 1 Requiem (e Kyrie); Requiem aeternam
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Dies irae
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Tuba mirum
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Liber scriptus
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Quid sum miser
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Rex tremendae
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Recordare
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Ingemisco tamquam
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Confutatis maledictis
Requiem; No. 2 Dies irae; Lacrimosa
Requiem; No. 3 Offertorio; Domine Jesu
Requiem; No. 3 Offertorio; Hostias
Requiem; No. 4 Sanctus; Sanctus
Requiem; No. 5 Agnus Dei; Agnus Dei
Requiem; No. 6 Lux aeterna; Lux Aeterna
Requiem; No. 7 Libera me; Libera me
Requiem; No. 7 Libera me; Dies irae
Requiem; No. 7 Libera me; Libera me
Harnoncourt's Verdi Requiem stresses the "spiritual" aspects of the work and downplays its theatrical elements. He's aided by the wonderful playing and singing of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. Bo... more »th give Harnoncourt precisely what he wants. It's doubtful though that what results in a recording competitive with the best. Pacing is agonizingly slow, without the rhythmic life that allows other versions that stress the score's religious aspects (Guilini for EMI and BBC, Fricsay for DG) to retain their classic status. The slow tempos do allow Harnoncourt to explore details often overlooked by others, so the huge outbursts of the "Dies Irae" section have the kind of precise articulation and carefully observed instrumental details rarely heard. But the slow speeds also come at the cost of pushing his miscast, light-voiced solo quartet far beyond their limits. Their singing is full of carefully refined tonal shadings that seem out of place in this work, as well as afflicted by intrusive vibratos. Verdi completists and the curious will want this; others will be content with such longtime favorites as the Giulini, Solti (Decca), and Toscanini (RCA) versions. --Dan Davis« less
Harnoncourt's Verdi Requiem stresses the "spiritual" aspects of the work and downplays its theatrical elements. He's aided by the wonderful playing and singing of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. Both give Harnoncourt precisely what he wants. It's doubtful though that what results in a recording competitive with the best. Pacing is agonizingly slow, without the rhythmic life that allows other versions that stress the score's religious aspects (Guilini for EMI and BBC, Fricsay for DG) to retain their classic status. The slow tempos do allow Harnoncourt to explore details often overlooked by others, so the huge outbursts of the "Dies Irae" section have the kind of precise articulation and carefully observed instrumental details rarely heard. But the slow speeds also come at the cost of pushing his miscast, light-voiced solo quartet far beyond their limits. Their singing is full of carefully refined tonal shadings that seem out of place in this work, as well as afflicted by intrusive vibratos. Verdi completists and the curious will want this; others will be content with such longtime favorites as the Giulini, Solti (Decca), and Toscanini (RCA) versions. --Dan Davis
CD Reviews
Deeply Felt, Thought-Provoking
Verdi lover | Toronto | 09/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Harnoncourt is thoroughly convincing in presenting the Requiem as a series of intense prayers/meditations on death. The approach is similar to his Aida - not allowing volume or histrionics to overwhelm either the listener or the singers. This allows him to explore Verdi's orchestral colours and nuances and the soloists and choir to sing beautifully and meaningfully.
What is revealed is the work's religious ambiguity, its similarities with Verdi's operas, its roots in Gregorian chant, and its astounding newness and uniqueness. This is a performance to live with. Highly recommended."
Harnoncourt's Requiem Trail
Akimon Azuki | 09/03/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"... continues with Verdi's boombastic and big take on Requiem, an opera disguised as a Mass for the Dead. After Harnoncourt's radical approach to Mozart's Requiem, I expected something fresh in his reading and he does not disappoint.
First of all, the sound is amazing; I can only comment on the quality of the regular CD, but it's outstanding how this recording benefits from the close, clean and very intimate settings. This is Verdi devoid of histrionics, brash sound and Halloween horror, but still very intense.
The beginning sequences are beautifully subdued; the Arnold Schoenberg Choir continues to make the stand as one of the best choruses in the world. When listening to other recordings of Kyrie, I am usually twiddling with volume controls, trying to actually hear anything- that's not the case here. These extreme pianissimos are, for once, soft, not just inaudible. And when the chorus picks up at "Te Decet Hymnus", their sound is still beautiful transparent, just more intense. In later sequences, in Dies Irae, and especially in Sanctus, which is so easily turned into out of control train wreck, the chorus is in perfect control of the line, and the flow of music.
The orchestra playing throughout the whole disc is exceptional, and they are nuances in the instrumental texture that I never even noticed before. The brass section in particular does amazing things- there were moments where I was just shaking my head in disbelief. I had no idea Verdi could sound so lean, clean and great- this is not the usual wall of sound, where every instrument just plays loud and fights for survival.
I am, however, less impressed with the soloists. As much as I don't like the tenors in general and would like to replace the whole lot with pushed up baritones, Michael Schade is in my good graces as an excellent Mozart singer. Here, though, he sounds stretched to his limits and with a few moments of great beauty, the overall impression is that this is not a good fit for him. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is earnest, but out of depth - I would like a deeper, truer bass. Soprano Eva Mei does not quite make it as a truly dramatic soprano this work requires, especially in the closing Libera Me. Mezzo Bernarda Fink is way too wide in her vibratto for my taste; Liber Scriptus is one of my favourite moments in Verdi's Requiem, and she simply does not deliver, vocally and dramatically. I understand this is Harnoncourt's approach, to have singers with lighter voices, and they do blend beautifully together- Mei and Fink are perfect in the Recordare duet- but given all the great soloists from the past, especially Marilyn Horne and Pavarotti (who once was an artist and not a handkerchief clutching clown), comparisons are inevitable and not favourable.
Another problem is with the tempi; there are no bizarre choices here, like the insanely fast Hostias on Mozart's Requiem, but still, Dies Irae, for example, is unusually slow.
Overall, this is a beautifully different take on Verdi's Requiem, though newcomers may want to try the little more traditional Gardiner, and even Solti's big scale recordings first."
A good, somewhat reserved, reading free of personal affectat
Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 03/16/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Harnoncourt's version of Verdi's religious operetta was recorded in concert in the Musikverein in late 2004. The recording carries the label of hybrid SACD in surround sound. The publicity on the back cover indicates the version uses a new edition that projects the spiritual, not operatic, qualities of the music.
I am not so certain about either of the latter statements above. It seems to me Harnoncourt merely starts slowly and does not project the kind of demonic end of world quality in the Dies Irae that Solti and other more hot-blooded conductors bring to the music. Otherwise, this seems like a straightforward reading that is neither operatic nor spiritual.
For me, the best part of this is the singing by the vocal quartet. This begins in the latter sections of the Dies Irae and continues through the second half. Each soloist is wonderfully captured by the clear recording, with exceptional elocution.
I enjoyed the singing throughout almost as much as I enjoyed Harnoncourt eschewing personal affectation from the recording. Anyone that's heard a half-dozen recordings by this conductor knows he goes in for italicized accents, weird tenuto and other devices that seem to break up the melodic flow for no good reason. Fortunately, Harnoncourt withheld this completely throughout this concert recording.
The SACD recording is clear and captures even the biggest moments with clarity, projection and without congestion or dissonance. I played this on my 5.1 SACD player and system, where the playback was in stereo only. This leads me to believe this is a stereo recording, not true multichannel. It played fine and sounded good in stereo reproduction on my five channel system.
Having said this, it is my opinion this version does not compete very well with the SACD recording of Ormandy's 1964 performance, however. Ormandy's 83-minute performance also has the advantage of being on a single disk, making this one twice as expensive while being less good.
All things considered, this is a good if somewhat reserved performance of the Requiem. Compared to other stereo versions I've owned and heard -- led by Ormandy, Muti, Abbado, Giulini and Gardiner -- this can be a contender for people that aren't interested in the hysterical end of world approach."
Verdi Requiem played like precious jewels
pyramidcvv | Western US | 07/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I just heard this much-maligned recording of the Verdi Requiem and must respectfully disagree with the overall negative feedback.
I found this new recording of the Verdi Requiem to be a very enjoyable listening experience.
While it is true that the soloists are not blow-down-the-walls vocal battleships, they are anything but inadequate. It is actually quite refreshing to be able to hear the notes without putting up with the schmaltz and theatrics which you hear from, e.g, Renee Fleming and Leontyne Price.
Eva Mei, soprano, has been singled out for special criticsm by the likes of Gramophone Magazine. But I found her voice to be a real pleasure to hear. Her register changes are not so stomach-wrenching like Price's.
I was especially happy to finally hear the Arnold Schoenberg Choir; I was quite pleased. Despite their name, they sound fine with Verdi: balance and ensemble work were all top-notch.
Harnoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic may sound like a classical "Odd Couple," but they make wonderful music together in this recording.
This is not a "fast" performance, but I don't agree it is overly slow as some suggest. FYI, the Riccardo Muti CD is actually a few seconds longer than Harnoncourt's. I liked the slower tempo of the Dies Irae; I don't think it took away anything of the drama of the music.
My only criticism are the rather bizarre liner notes. They appear to have been written by an anti-religion social activist ranting about WMDs and globalisation, and who regards Verdi's Requiem as a denunciation of the evils of humanity. Very weird.
Engineering sound was very good. Packaging is compact. Texts and translations included."
Great sound but just a so-so performance
Virginia Opera Fan | Falls Church, VA USA | 11/28/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The best thing about this performance is the excellent SACD sound - highly detailed and spacious. As a performance, it is not up to par with other versions on my shelves - including De Sabata, Giulini (I & II), Gardiner, Ormandy, Reiner, the the ancient Serafin. Harnoncourt's conducting sometimes seems to slight the drama of the score and is on the leisurely side despite revealing a wealth of detail in the scoring.
I don't particularly care for the soloists. Mei, whom I know primarily from lighter roles (like the Don Pasquale Norina) sounds overparted by the soprano role. Fink sounds shaky at times (the opening of the Lux aeterna). Schade can't disguise the fact that his voice is a size or two too small for Verdi's demands. D'Arcangelo is a relatively light voiced bass, but has a vibrant sound and acquits himself pretty well.
If you must have the latest in sound technology, this is your choice - Sony's Ormandy SACD is a re-tread of of May, 1964 stereo sessions. Ormandy's tenor (Richard Tucker) is a tenore robusto but not terribly subtle. George London (bass) was past his best years by the time of the recording. The ladies (Amara and Forrester) are OK but not the last word.
Giulini's EMI recording has long been my favorite version of this great work. Despite a lack of weight in her lyric voice, Schwarzkopf manages a strong performance capped by a very fine "Libera me". Christa Ludwig's warm and brilliant voice is quite wonderful in the mezzo part. Gedda is also very good and I consider Ghiaurov, with his wide range of vocal color, the best on record in the work since Pinza. (Talvela's weighty bass under Solti is excellent but monotonous in comparison.)
Other interesting options include Gardiner's "period instrument" effort and Reiner's Decca recording with some very interesting soloists (young Leontyne Price, Rosalind Elias, Bjoerling, and Tozzi). If you don't mind mono sound, De Sabata's EMI recording (Schwarzkopf, Dominguez, Di Stefano and Siepi) is worth investigating. Despite the 1939 sound, Serafin's Rome recording with Caniglia, Stignani, Gigli and Pinza remains a strong contender and excellent example of full blooded singing.