BaL 3.06.17 - Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

0930
Building a Library: Erica Jeal recommends the best recording of Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem. Britten wrote the piece in 1940 at the age of 26 to mark the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire. It is the composer's most extensive purely orchestral work for the concert hall. And is still one of the most popular works written in Britten's earlier style.


Available Recordings:-


Concertgebouw Orchestra, Stefan Asbury
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, John Barbirolli
London Symphony Orchestra, Steuart Bedford
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiří Bělohlávek
Danish State Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Benjamin Britten
SWR Sinfonieorchester, Benjamin Britten
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sergiu Celibidache
Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Fedoseyev (download)
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Myer Fredman
London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox
Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar
Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Kempe
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Neville Marriner (download)
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Libor Pesek
London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn (download)
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Donald Runnicles
Slovak Chamber Orchestra, Bohdan Warchal
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Mark Wigglesworth

[visualnickmos]

Love this Britten work. A great choice for BaL. Looking forward to this one, too....

[Beef Oven!]

I'm surprised that after all these years of CDs, the list isn't longer - purely because it makes for an easy filler.

[BBMmk2]

I'm surprised that after all these years of CDs, the list isn't longer - purely because it makes for an easy filler.

Indeed, Beefy. Being a short work. I am surprised that Previn's LSO recording is only available as a download. surely a strong contender?

[LeMartinPecheur]

Surprised at the relatively small number of recordings and that I have only two, LSO/Previn and the Rattle, both on LP. Unfortunately I must miss this BaL but will be interested to learn if another version demands acquisition.

[Barbirollians]

I hardly think this work makes an easy filler . Easy it isn't to play, interpret or listen to IMO .

Have Previn, Britten and Bedford - all excellent but would probably go for the composer if I had to choose one .

[Beef Oven!]

I hardly think this work makes an easy filler . Easy it isn't to play, interpret or listen to IMO .

I never said it was easy to play - that's a straw-man argument. Fortunately there are plenty of professional orchestras all over the world whose day job it is to play music.

Interpret? I can only guess you mean to 'conduct'. Ibid.

Easy to listen to? Well so long as you have at least one ear, you should have no trouble hearing it. The rest is a cognitive process and is not intrinsic to the music being played.

There is no music that is hard to listen to, it's a very easy, enjoyable affair IMV.

In terms of CDs it makes an easy filler because of it's length and the that it's a very attractive work. It's what Chandos did with Hickox's 'War Requiem'. The Libera me obviously spilled onto a second disc so they filled the rest with Sinfonia De Requiem and Ballad of Heroes. There are other examples, too.

I have Britten, Hickox, Fredman, Rattle and Bedford. I have never thought about which one I prefer. I guess the broadcast will act as a catalyst for that. Although it's worth mentioning that I tend to prefer the composer's own hand, on Decca in nearly all cases.

[visualnickmos]

.....tend to prefer the composer's own hand, on Decca in nearly all cases.

I go along with that - which makes for a particularly 'interesting' BaL.
Rattle, anyone?

[Beef Oven!]

I go along with that - which makes for a particularly 'interesting' BaL.
Rattle, anyone?

Yes it should be a good BaL, with a reasonable amount of time for each of the main contenders, then the final comparison with Britten, then ............

Crikey! I forgot, I have the Rattle, too!

[Alison]

Behlolavek to win with BBCSO. A two disc set with Asrael Symphony.

The 'filler' occupies all of the second disc!

[rauschwerk]

Britten was a first rate conductor, as we know, and virtually all his recordings of his own music have stood the test of time. I used to own his Philharmonia recording, and it seemed to me that there was one crucial passage - the transition from Dies irae to Requiem aeternam - which he didn't manage as well as some. This needs the most careful control of the gradual reductions in tempo and volume, and it seemed to me that Britten let the tension dissipate too soon. Rattle is better here.

[BBMmk2]

With referring to Barbs's post earlier, it's not one of the most difficult works to play, or listen to. I liked it from the first time I heard it. I have the score as well, and from that I can deduce, from it, it wouldn't take long to rehearse?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just to clarify - when Forumistas refer to "the Britten", and "the Previn", to which of their recordings do they refer? I'm presuming the later DECCA and HMV versions respectively?

[Pulcinella]

Both Previns on the shelves (well, actually still on the floor, as I haven't re-sorted them all after the recent collapse!), as well as Britten (Decca), Bedford (the original Collins issue), and Hickox.
Can't remember which version I got first: I think it may have been the early Previn St Louis, coupled with Copland's Red Pony suite, on LP; this was one of Previn's first recordings as conductor, an interesting choice/coupling.
Hard to say which is my 'go to' version; like others, I'm looking forward to this BaL for some pointers and comments on the different interpretations.

PS: Even having read Beefy's post first I went and did the same thing: forgot that I had the Rattle recording too!
PPS: Oh, and the BBC MM cover disc version too: BBCSO/Wigglesworth.

[Petrushka]

I have LSO/Previn and CBSO/Rattle and both are very fine indeed but the sound quality accorded to the Previn is exceptionally good and so for me that one gets the nod. I've never had Britten's Decca recording, something that I think needs to be rectified pronto.