Mozart's Requiem

[baardemann]

What recording of requiem would you recommend? I went to a consert with mozarts requiem a few days ago, and it was one of my greatest musical experiences ever.

Bård

[bassistah]

The Hogwood recording is I think the best. I´ve got about 6 recordings of the requiem and this is far and away the best. It was recorded just after they found new sketches in Mozart´s hand for a short Amen chorus that follows the Lacrymosa. The ending of the lacrymosa is slightly different too.
It has the sublime Emma Kirkby as the solo soprano too, and, as usual with Hogwood, played in a totally sympathetic way but with plenty of welly

It really is one of my favourite pieces to both listen to and to play. But the bass part is a killer!! Awesome fun though. I actually sang soprano in it when I was at school. Cough.

[Joshua Yu]

Originally Posted by baardemann

What recording of requiem would you recommend? I went to a consert with mozarts requiem a few days ago, and it was one of my greatest musical experiences ever.

Bård

I recommend the one of Sir Colin Davis with BBC Symphony Orchestra at 1967.
Details:

Helen Donath, soprano
Yvonne Minton, contralto
Ryland Davies, tenor
Gerd Nienstedt, bass
John Alldis Choir
Jack Pinches, trombone
Alan Haverson, organ
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis, conductor
1967, Phillips Classics, a division of the Phillips Music Group
1998, The Decca Record Company Limited, London

CD is made in Germany
Printed in Germany
ADD = Analogue to Digital Remaster

The Penguin name, logo and trade dress are trademarks of Penguin Books Ltd. and are used under licence.

460 607-2 DP

[JTR]

to me, Mozart's Requiem is the best Requiem I've listened to so far and my favourite parts are: Dies Irae & Confutatis.
just absolutely love the voice + orchestra

[DMEnfield@mac.com]

Originally Posted by baardemann

What recording of requiem would you recommend? I went to a consert with mozarts requiem a few days ago, and it was one of my greatest musical experiences ever.

Bård

I own 27 different recordings ofthe Requiem. The Gardiner is musically superb. But the difficult to find performance by Sigiswald Kuijken directing his La Petite Band and the Nederlands Kamerkoor on the Accent label seems, to me, to be the best combination of musical excellence and liturgical rectitude. It helps if you happen to have been raised a Roman Catholic.

[chckn8r]

Originally Posted by DMEnfield@mac.com

It helps if you happen to have been raised a Roman Catholic.

May I ask why that would help?

Cheers, D

[DMEnfield@mac.com]

The reason I said that is that Mozart is the quintessential Catholic musician, just as Bach is the Protestant. The liturgical values are different. In fact, liturgy was a significant issue for Martin Luther in his break from Rome.

In one of his letters, Mozart wrote: "it is all right for you Protestants, who carry your religion in your heads, but for us Catholics it is quite different. Each time you pick up the words, 'Qui tollis peccata mundi', in order to set them to music, even though you have known them forever, you feel your soul moved once again."

That comment would not naturally have escaped Bach's lips.

I believe that the instincts of one raised in the Cathloic liturgy will find special resonance in the Kuijken performance, despite the fact that I would guess -- being Dutch -- that he is a Protestant.

Best regards,

Mike