Recommendations for Berlioz' Requiem
Kathleen Nordgren
mono) - Thanks in advance -
Salah S Zenieh
>Which recording of Berlioz' Requiem is considered the "best" (please, no
>mono) - Thanks in advance -
The Shaw is very hard to beat. I was glad to see that many netters think
so too. Sound and performance get a 10/10. John Aler (tenor) is just
sweet. If you do buy it, listen to his Sanctus and experience heaven.
The recording is fairly recent (mid 1980s), by the way.
The Requiem is on two Telarc CDs coupled with Verdi's Te Deum and Bioto
Mefisto.....(sp). It is medium priced at about $26 (at Tower).
----------------------------------
Sami de...@vivaldi.nl.nuwc.navy.mil
Robert Sutphen
recording for Phillips about 20 years ago with the London Symphony and
Chorus (part of Phillips' Berlioz cycle). That recording hooked me on
the Berlioz requiem.
It seems to be a bit more dramatic. The program notes are also excellent.
I got mine in a LP version from Half-Price books. I do not know if it
is out on CD.
Matthew B. Tepper
says...
>
>Which recording of Berlioz' Requiem is considered the "best" (please, no
>mono) - Thanks in advance -
Ahem! You happened upon my specialty, as I wrote my M.A. thesis on the
performance practice of the Berlioz _Grande Messe des morts_. In the text
of my thesis, I compare and contrast 20 different recordings which were
available at that time (1983). Since that time, I have been buying more,
and my total now stands at 36 (!).
For my current "recommendation" list, I would optimally suggest that you
check out my World Wide Web site, the URL of which should appear below in my
sig file. As a précise of same, however, I shall give you my quick view
among the currently available performances:
Among the Best in Stereo:
Davis/LSO (Phillips)
Bernstein/ORTF etc. (Sony)
Munch/BSO (BMG, n/a in USA currently)
Historical Best:
Fournet (Columbia, rec. 1943 in occupied Paris, n/a)
Beecham (Hunt/Arkadia, 1959 mono live perf. Royal Albert Hall; magnificent)
Best on Video:
Davis/BavarianRSO (Pioneer)
Worth Waiting For (never released on CD, or at least not yet in USA):
Previn/LSO (EMI) (my pick for the best in digital!)
Munch/BavarianRSO (supposedly available here soon)
Avoid, Avoid:
Shaw (Telarc; lovely playing and singing, but NO IDEA WHAT THE MUSIC IS
ABOUT)
Barenboim (DGG; snoozefest)
Scherchen (Ades; slow as the dickens)
Please note that I go out of my way to antirecommend the Shaw, mostly
because it would appear to be an "obvious" choice and it is commonly
available, but also because I see it recommended so frequently. Really, one
can do much better and enter into HB's own special world through so many
other recordings. So this one is recorded spectacularly well; big deal! If
the "music" isn't there, what's the point?
--
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"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Matthew B. Tepper du...@deltanet.com am...@lafn.org CIS: 71031,2415
Check out my Berlioz page! http://www.deltanet.com/users/ducky/index.htm
*************************************************************************
Andrea TRAVE
: Which recording of Berlioz' Requiem is considered the "best" (please, no
There is on Sony a double CD with Requiem, conducted by Bernstein, and
Te Deum, with Barenboim. I don't know these recordings directly, but the
video versions done with the same forces of the CDs for both the works. The
Requiem is quite spectacular, Bernsteein gives brasses enough space to emerge,
and the most surprising features of this work (the great chords of the 16
timpani, the passages for flutes against trombones) don't fail to strike one's
ears. The Te Deum is equally majestic and impressive, although I have a very
limited acquaintance with this composition to give a really meditated opinion
on it.
--
Andrea Trave tr...@cibs.sns.it
************ *****************
URL http://sns.it/~trave/
*****************************
"...le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile."
(Henry de Regnier, quoted by Ravel above the score of his "Valses nobles et
sentimentales")
Matthew B. Tepper
>There is on Sony a double CD with Requiem, conducted by Bernstein, and
>Te Deum, with Barenboim. I don't know these recordings directly, but the
>video versions done with the same forces of the CDs for both the works. The
>Requiem is quite spectacular, Bernstein gives brasses enough space to
>emerge,and the most surprising features of this work (the great chords of
>the 16 timpani, the passages for flutes against trombones) don't fail to
>strike one's ears. The Te Deum is equally majestic and impressive, although
>I have a very limited acquaintance with this composition to give a really
>meditated opinion on it.
I should point out that Bernstein's recording of the Berlioz _Grande Messe
des morts_ was first issued on CD in Europe in the coupling you cite. The
present coupling (with "La mort de Cléopatre" among other shorter works) is
part of the "Royal Edition" (a large series devoted to Bernstein recordings
with covers taken from watercolors by the Prince of Wales [!]) issued in
Britain and the United States.
Whichever coupling one gets, it is a fine performance, and much more "in
tune" with the music than Shaw, Levine, Barenboim and Maazel (to name but a
few).
Fred Allen
coupled with the Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale (I think) and still
sounds great. In any event, avoid trying to save money by buying the new
Ozawa. It fits on one disk, but only because every movement is too fast,
and it's bland too, skating over the surface of the music.
Fred Allen
Phil Miller
: In any event, avoid trying to save money by buying the new
: and it's bland too, skating over the surface of the music.
I thought the new Ozawa was angelic and stress-free.
philll
Garygch
Streess-free? That's not the point of the music. Oh these Prozac days....
bye,
Gary
Gene Gaudette
said:
>In article <1739D1512DS...@ulkyvm.louisville.edu>,
>RDPA...@ulkyvm.louisville.edu (Robert Parish) says:
>>
>>In article <3oc3ne$c88...@rh.uchicago.edu>
>>mt...@uchicago.edu (Mathew Lu) writes:
>>>....Alexander Nevsky cantata.
>>
>>Love the new Nevsky CD. But it does differ from the cantata. Which
>>is the best recording of the Cantata? Must have authentic Russian
>>sounding singers...
>>
>>---Robert D. Parish, University of Louisville (Kentucky, USA)
>If you want a
>*classic* brillant recording, then Reiner w/ CSO is the one to get. Previn
is
>also good, Slatkin on VOX is really excellent. Abbado on DG is supposed to
be
>an excellent modern recording - but go w/ Reiner!
A caveat on Reiner: it's sung in English. Nonetheless, it's my favorite,
blowing away recordings I also own by Abbado, Dutoit, and Jarvi.
Gene
Thomas Martin
>
>Kathleen Nordgren (kn...@u.washington.edu) wrote:
>: Which recording of Berlioz' Requiem is considered the "best" (please, no
>: mono) - Thanks in advance -
>
>Te Deum, with Barenboim. I don't know these recordings directly, but the
>video versions done with the same forces of the CDs for both the works. The
>and the most surprising features of this work (the great chords of the 16
>timpani, the passages for flutes against trombones) don't fail to strike one's
>ears. The Te Deum is equally majestic and impressive, although I have a very
>limited acquaintance with this composition to give a really meditated opinion
>on it.
>
>Andrea Trave tr...@cibs.sns.it
>************ *****************
> URL http://sns.it/~trave/
> *****************************
>"...le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile."
>(Henry de Regnier, quoted by Ravel above the score of his "Valses nobles et
>sentimentales")
has been beautifully remastered) includes "Romeo and Juliette" and "Mort
de Cleopatre." Great set!
Matthew B. Tepper
In a previous article, twma...@mail.crl.com (Thomas Martin) says:
>I think there is a couple of different releases of the Bernstein "Requiem."
>Sony SM2K 47526 (which has been beautifully remastered) includes "Romeo
>and Juliette" and "Mort de Cleopatre." Great set!
You and Andrea are both right. Bernstein's recording has indeed been
issued twice on CD. The first issue coupled it with the Barenboim
recording of Berlioz' "Te Deum." Then, when Sony was putting together
the Bernstein Royal Edition (a set of ~100 CDs with cover art from
watercolors -- 'scuse me, watercolours -- by the Prince of Wales, they
recoupled it with other Bernstein Berlioz recordings, just as you state.
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Matthew B. Tepper am...@lafn.org du...@deltanet.com CIS: 71031,2415
Check out my Hector Berlioz page! http://www.deltanet.com/users/ducky/