Prom 23: Verdi – Requiem (2.08.15)

[Darkbloom]

Hiya Darkbloom,

I met Runnicles in his office at the Deutsche Oper Berlin last year. He didn't kiss me then, so maybe he only kisses women!

The male soloists got rather short-shrift in contrast - a perfunctory handshake - so don't take it personally.

[Darkbloom]

I've seen Barenboim move in on the young ladies of the West-Eastern Divan with great enthusiasm (and more reason, IMHO).

Anyone who heard his Desert Island Discs with Sue Lawley wouldn't be surprised by that. He sounded like he was all over that poor woman like white on rice. Mostly, Barenboim's on-stage persona has been coloured for my by the almighty set-to he had with his concert-master during Walkure two years ago. Not much charm on display that day, and the only kissing to be done was likely to have been of the Glaswegian variety.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Anyone who heard his Desert Island Discs with Sue Lawley wouldn't be surprised by that. He sounded like he was all over that poor woman like white on rice.

I have no idea what "like white on rice" means, but are you referring to this edition of DID?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093vnd

... which followed his series of Reith Lectures which Ms Lawley compered. The two knew each other and the banter about Barenboim's age seems to be flowing in both directions - and notice her laughter at around 37 mins.

[Petrushka]

The chorus were undoubtedly the star of the show last night but am I alone in finding the recorded sound given to choruses this year rather hard to take? They sounded as if they were recorded in a telephone kiosk with no suggestion of the open spaces of the RAH in evidence.

[Richard Tarleton]

am I alone in finding the recorded sound given to choruses this year rather hard to take? They sounded as if they were recorded in a telephone kiosk with no suggestion of the open spaces of the RAH in evidence.

Just tried the pm repeat of this - the chorus sounded very boxy to me (listening via my satellite dish/hifi system). I abandoned it after about 20 minutes as I wasn't enjoying it - didn't care for the solists either. Wobbly mezzo as observed above, the tenor fluffed one of his first notes which was unfortunate. And yes it was hard to tell it had started.

I listened to some Bruckner instead.

I've just reminded myself of my first live Verdi Requiem - Prom 45 in 1972, Colin Davis, Jessye Norman etc.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

What struck me - this being my first live Requiem - was how much it reminded me of Aida, especially the raucous, punchy brass writing - but there were so many echoes overall that it would take too long to enumerate them.

And so it should. Of the soloists at the first performance of the Requiem in 1874, Teresa Stolz (soprano), Maria Waldmann (mezzo-soprano) and Ormondo Maini (bass) had sung in the European premiere of Aida (as Aida, Amneris and Ramfis respectively). Tenor Giuseppe Capponi was set for Radamès, but illness made him miss that premiere. The vocal writing is very similar and - ideally - you need singers capable of taking on those principal roles to do the Requiem justice. Sadly, I can only envisage one of Sunday's soloists - Angela Meade - tackling their respective roles in Aida. Karen Cargill was terrific, but I don't hear her as a Verdi mezzo (fabulous in Berlioz, though). Josep Kang cracked at least five times and showed he has no trill to speak of, doing his reputation few favours. Raymond Aceto has a decent instrument, but wavered in pitch, feeling for the note. Apart from Meade, the stars for me were the chorus from Deutsche Oper!