BaL 3.10.15 - Verdi: Requiem

[AjAjAjH]

I'm going to hear the Verdi Requiem in the Bridgewater Hall on Saturday evening. It will be interesting to hear what the great Verdian Mark Elder and the Halle make of it.

What a great start to the Halle season:-

Verdi Requiem on Saturday.
Mahler 6 the following Thursday.

[Stanfordian]

I'm going to hear the Verdi Requiem in the Bridgewater Hall on Saturday evening. It will be interesting to hear what the great Verdian Mark Elder and the Halle make of it.

What a great start to the Halle season:-

Verdi Requiem on Saturday.
Mahler 6 the following Thursday.

Hiya AJ...

Your enthusiasm is palpable. I reserve my judgement until I hear how good the Halle's performances are.

[BBMmk2]

I'm going to hear the Verdi Requiem in the Bridgewater Hall on Saturday evening. It will be interesting to hear what the great Verdian Mark Elder and the Halle make of it.

What a great start to the Halle season:-

Verdi Requiem on Saturday.
Mahler 6 the following Thursday.

Will that be broadcast?

[Barbirollians]

92 minutes Sir John's version !

[akiralx]

I love the high drama of the two Solti discs (best bass drum of all is on the VPO recording) but for me there is a clear winner in Barenboim's recent release with La Scala. There is no shortage of high drama here either but more than any other version we are not allowed to forget that for all its theatricality it is a requiem. The soloists are superb, the chorus is absolutely top notch and the recorded sound is splendid. Game, set and match to Barenboim in my very humble opinion.

Yes, I would agree - this is an amazing recording, one of the best things Barenboim has ever done. The choral singing is amazing. It was recently broadcast in high-definition on TV here in Australia, quite a treat.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

92 minutes Sir John's version !

I remember the day when I went to Avgarde Gallery in Brazenose Street, Manchester to buy my first recording of Verdi Requiem. They allowed me to compare the Solti with the Barbirolli. All my previous instincts told me I would prefer the Barbirolli, but on hearing the opening of the Dies Irae, I was astounded at just how dull the JB version was.

[gradus]

I didn't get the reason for excluding so many earlier recordings,Toscanini excepted, from the excerpts played, perhaps I missed her explanation.
I like big voices in this piece. Wonderful to hear Christa Ludwig singing with such visceral power - needed at max in Liber Scriptus, but anything she could do in that department was matched if not exceeded by Marilyn Horne in the first Solti set which seemed to be ignored. Odd too that only Schwarzkopf and Freni - hardly the first sopranos to come to mind in this piece - were given time yet nothing at all about that most taxing final high note in the role.
Too short a BAL imv for such a massive and complex piece so I'm unconvinced by the final choice.

[BBMmk2]

Personally, I would go either with Giulini or Abbado

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Personally, I would go either with Giulini or Abbado

Glad to see you've listened to this in the past week, Bbm

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just before we get back to serious discussion, I couldn't help being reminded by the frequent mentions of "Pape and Pappano" of The Magic Flute.

[vinteuil]

... not a work I go back to very often. I seem to have a few versions here - Toscanini (1940 with Jussi Björling), Fricsay, Muti, Mehta. The choice of Pappano seemed sound - but I still don't think it's a work I shall need to hear again very often. So - money saved! - I have earned another michelin meal

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... not a work I go back to very often. I seem to have a few versions here - Toscanini (1940 with Jussi Björling), Fricsay, Muti, Mehta. The choice of Pappano seemed sound - but I still don't think it's a work I shall need to hear again very often. So - money saved! - I have earned another michelin meal

I feel much the same way - in spite of Barbi's pre-recommendation of the winning selection, the soloists (Pape aside) didn't greatly appeal in the excerpts played. Baker in the Solti, on the other hand sounded as perfect as ever (odd that the Solti VPO didn't feature, save for a passing mention in the concluding "dismissals") - as did the electrifying Toscanini.

Not a michelin meal (I never pay those CD prices) but a fish & chip supper on the cards ...

[vinteuil]

Not a michelin meal (I never pay those CD prices) ...

... you must buy very expensive CDs ...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... you must buy very expensive CDs ...

Ah! In my higgorance, I presumed that michelin meals must be expensive (hence my reference to fish & chips - £4.90 from my local; with the Pappano [incl] P&P, that's two fish suppers!)

[vinteuil]

Ah! In my higgorance, I presumed that michelin meals must be expensive (hence my reference to fish & chips - £4.90 from my local; with the Pappano [incl] P&P, that's two fish suppers!)

... well, depends on what you mean by 'depends'

My default for special occasions does relatively cheap week-day lunches - but otherwise -

http://www.latrompette.co.uk/menu/

With some nice wine - well, you could be buying a Furtwangler -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004JC16LC

.