Johannes Brahms, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Choir, Daniel H - Ein Deutsches Requiem (op.45)
STYLE: Choral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 177608- LABEL: Harmonia Mundi HMM902635 FORMAT: CD Album
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
Brahms's Requiem, completed in 1868, draws on the legacy of his forerunners, Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach. In setting texts from the German Bible, it deliberately departs from the models of the Catholic liturgy and imposes a sorrowing yet consolatory meditation on death and the Last Judgment, in the manner of a poignant and grandiose cradle song for the dead. One could make a good case for considering this to be the musical pinnacle of German Romanticism and certainly it is recognised as one of the jewels of European choral music. And there's the rub. This is by no means the first Brahms's Requiem that has come my way and my usual CD guide lists six other recordings that are worth considering. Most are sung in German, as is this one, but if you insist on English then you can find it and that is before we even begin to think about how it is performed. My preference is for a full-bodied wall of sound from the choir and the version under review with the Swedish Radio Choir does not disappoint. The soloists, Christiane Karg (soprano) and Matthias Goerne (baritone), blend well with the choir and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra do not disappoint either. As a composition, this is one of the greats and everyone should hear it at least once. Is this version the definitive one? It is probably impossible to answer that question. Some days I would want my Desert Island Requiem to be an English recording and the next day I would stick with German. This is certainly a well-presented recording, with voices and instruments well balanced and if you are new to the piece this will not lead you astray. Personally, if you forced me to choose, I would go with Andre Previn and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra but if you cannot find that recording then Daniel Harding and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra is a most able alternative.
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