BaL 3.10.15 - Verdi: Requiem

[Conchis]

Not heard the programme yet, but surprised that Pappano won. I heard him conduct this work at the Barbican, when he was immediately pre-Covent Garden - an excellent performance, though I can't recall the CD doing that much for me.

I always prefer the earlier Solti for this work. Great bass drum, the VPO and Pavarotti in his second high profile essaying of the solo tenor part that year (the first was for Karajan in January - 1967). The fact that Solti takes an 'operatic' view of the Requiem doesn't bother me at all - it IS an operatic work, written by an agnostic who wasn't over-bothered by the idea of an afterlife.

[Black Swan]

... 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 totally agree with you. I only have the Pappano recording and for me it is enough as I really don't listen to the work, often.

[BBMmk2]

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

No problem Ferney!

[DracoM]

Didn't catch why the Solti / Sutherland/ Horne / Pavarotti/Talvela offering was dismissed?

[Historian]

I didn't hear all of this, but I came away with the feeling that the choruses didn't get much consideration. Am I being unfair?

[Nick Armstrong]

I didn't hear all of this, but I came away with the feeling that the choruses didn't get much consideration. Am I being unfair?

That was my impression too.

[BBMmk2]

Didn't catch why the Solti / Sutherland/ Horne / Pavarotti/Talvela offering was dismissed?

That was rather sacrilegious of the critic

[mikealdren]

I think the reviewer was daunted by scale of the task so some CDs were simply dismissed (e.g. the 'early Solti'). It was one of those BaLs where the individual components are considered to help eliminate players. The 'let's compare each of the soloists' approach is not a bad idea but inevitably too few get considered, especially when Christa Ludwig came up twice.

For me however, the overall approach and architecture are key to a major work such as this and I'll nail my colours to the mast; I like the early Solti. IIRC Giulini won before, a long time ago (60s? erly 70s) and I found it bland, I still do. It doesn't have Solti's visceral excitement (and I'm not generally a Solti fan).

I had hoped they would play the Solti version when the quartet soloists come in together, Joan Sutherland's entry is electrifying and the others are pretty good too.

That said, I generally liked what I heard of the Pappano version although I wasn't convinced by Anja Harteros in the libera me excerpt.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've abbreviated the details in the opening list of recordings so they no longer intrude on Barbs' post.

[DracoM]

Well, IMO, the Pappano sounds cosily corporate. No frightened horses here.
The Solti / Sutherland / a youngish Pavarotti etc recording, whatever its shortcomings may be is electrifying. Yes, treated as opera, but four top class - many would say the very toppest class - operatic singers at the very top of their game, knew each other well, toured as a team with it, and with an orchestra that has opera in its blood. I was amazed listening back that it barely even merited a mention.

[gradus]

I wonder if the review was edited down as it seems oddly unBALanced on reflection?

[BBMmk2]

I bought the DG version of the Giulini set

[mikealdren]

Hi BBM
I thought it was EMI? Is this the same set?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Hi BBM
I thought it was EMI? Is this the same set?

No - Bbm has bought the second studio recording:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0013816GK?refRID=HRS4QTQEC69C727QSA43&ref_=pd_rhf_pe_p_img_1

[BBMmk2]

No - Bbm has bought the second studio recording:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...rhf_pe_p_img_1

Ah right, thanks looks like its the EMI recording then!