BaL 2.07.16 - Fauré: Requiem

[Pulcinella]

Nigel Short, Tenebrae & LSO bbm ... Sounded fine to me but then I am a paid up member of the English Choral Tradition ....

Me too, but this was quite an ear-opening BaL for me.
I actually liked the run-on from the Bach Chaconne (but not enough to add yet another 'English' version to my already groaning shelves).
Did the Summerley get a mention at all? If so, my newly awakened ears still managed to miss it!

[Rue Dubac]

I'm not sure how appropriate the great English Choral Tradition is for a French Catholic requiem, and Richard Morrison's choice did not do it for me. I am happy with the Herreweghes I already have, though Niquet sounds interesting, as does Jaroussky, though I would not want to live with it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I actually liked the run-on from the Bach Chaconne

So did I - and the Chorale superposed, too. Wouldn't want to listen very many times - and I didn't like the sound of the solo Baritone much: preferred the "barrel-chested god" on this occasion.

Did the Summerley get a mention at all? If so, my newly awakened ears still managed to miss it!

No - nor the Cluytens, nor the Equilbey (although that boxed set arrived during the broadcast, so either could have been discussed whilst I was in a state of disbelief ).

[jonfan]

Picking a winner to please everyone is just as risky as picking a version of Messiah. I'm biased as RM chose my favourite so I think he did a good job. Versions from Oxbridge have without exception seem to be from heaven itself; calm, out of this world experiences and always dead in tune. Sir DW is alleged to have said that a choir that can't sing in tune shouldn't sing in public until it can; a bit harsh on mere mortals but I see what he's driving at especially in a work as heavenly as this. Milton said 'Voice and Verse should keep in tune with heaven' so Peter will keep many of us waiting outside until we can sing in tune. [Imagine the angels out of tune for eternity; it might make the other place seem attractive after a while]
Tenebrae give a performance that leads the listener from earth to heaven and shows us the way it can be humanly done. Grace Davidson was greatly praised in the BAL but I also liked Willaim Gaunt's beautiful, sensitive singing of the baritone solos.
See you at the gates.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sir DW is alleged to have said that a choir that can't sing in tune shouldn't sing in public until it can. . .

I like that.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Well - the Accentus/Equilbey is marvellous indeed. I even like the Pie Jesu, though I can see why Cali doesn't - she does rather "interpret the words" in ways that the other performers don't. One of those recordings that just make you aware of just how beautiful the work being performed is. Many s to Cali for bringing this recording (which I didn't know about before) to my attention.



I didn't even know that Laurence Equilbey is a woman

[BBMmk2]

Nigel Short, Tenebrae & LSO bbm ... Sounded fine to me but then I am a paid up member of the English Choral Tradition ....

Sounds good enough to me, AG! :) I will buy! :) (Don't tell Mrs BBM! :))

[Flosshilde]

I didn't even know that Laurence Equilbey is a woman

I met a female Laurence once - French. They're a bit odd with names - all those men called Michelle.


(should I add a ?)

[cloughie]

I met a female Laurence once - French. They're a bit odd with names - all those men called Michelle.


(should I add a ?)

No just remove le.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Having heard the chosen one, I can objectively report that the Equilbey/Accentus is 17.649 times better than the Short/Tenebrae.

Subjectively, I just found the Short too slow for how I like to hear this work (avoiding obvious "Short too Long" puns) - I can't get to paradise when I'm thinking "oh, get a move on!" all the time. There again, perhaps I don't deserve to - but Herrweghe, Summerly, and Equilbey between them will provide me with all I need from a recording of this lovely, gently, and deeply moving piece.

[Flosshilde]

No just remove le.

Just remove le what?

[Flosshilde]

I always start listening to the Requiem thinking that I like it, but soon decide that it's too bloodless, too polite (just right, in fact, for a requiem mass at la Madeleine).

[Bryn]

Le dernier "le" en Michelle. In Italy, of course, you only need to drop one of the "l"s.

[Flosshilde]

Yes, thank you, I got that. Just my attempt at une petite blague.

[Nick Armstrong]

Well, well, well... Mr Morrison and I are clearly after something completely different from this work - and his body clock must tick at a different speed. But the most glaring factual error of any BAL I can recall (see at the end of this post) suggests to me that it's not just about personal preferences - this was a seriously flawed and unsatisfactory review

I agree almost completely with this:

certainly not impressed with Morrison's final choices! (Strange: I thought he did a very good job discussing the versions, but disagreed with every preference he expressed!)

The main thing about which I did agree with him, was on the Giulini recording - and Kathleen Battle (Giulini & Battle - talk about the bishop and the actress...). And yes, he did clearly set out the various 'versions' of the work and their comparative qualities.

However - well, I bought that "winning" Tenebrae recording when it came out, and it went straight back - I found it lifeless, plodding, four-square... and although the soprano is pure (but dull), I didn't like AT ALL the male soloist.

In other words, again I agree (not necessarily with the maths , but in general) with

Having heard the chosen one, I can objectively report that the Equilbey/Accentus is 17.649 times better than the Short/Tenebrae.

Subjectively, I just found the Short too slow for how I like to hear this work (avoiding obvious "Short too Long" puns) - I can't get to paradise when I'm thinking "oh, get a move on!" all the time.

and also, very much, with

Atmosphere is all.

For Mr Morrison to find the Tenebrae the best, for me colours all his judgements on the performances. As do his omissions. Of course, he can't discuss them all, it's the old BAL dilemma... But my colours are so clearly nailed to the Accentus recording that its omission seems perverse; likewise the Summerly and Cluytens, apparently (I only know the latter of those two, I bought my dad the LP during one of my first stints in Paris, it was often heard at home).

Sadly, the sense that he was not proceeding from a comprehensive knowledge of the runners and riders was put beyond doubt by this absurd error:

"..the Choir of King's College Cambridge made its second recording of the work, this time under Stephen Cleobury two years ago..."

That's a pretty heavy clanger.

Not only does he seem not to know about the Ledger version (with Arléen Auger), but also the first of two Cleobury recordings. Both Ledger and 'Cleobury 1' from what I can see are freely available (but even if they weren't, Morrison's statement is daft).

As mentioned above, Cleobury 1 has imho the best treble soloist (reason alone to reference it, because Bob Chilcott does sound hesitant as RM rightly said) - and furthermore is of the Rutter-edited 1893 version. (It still doesn't seem to have found its way into Alpie's list in #1 above)

So, for various reasons, this isn't a BAL by which I think one can set much store.