Giulini's Verdi Requiems (and other recordings)

Posted by: Tam on 20 July 2007

Continued from the Bruckner thread.

Dear Oldnslow,

Don't go for the EMI Requiem (unless you must have Schwarzkopf et al). There are 5 known recordings from Giulini. Two are presently out of the catalogue: one is in Rome, which I haven't heard, and the other is on DG with the BPO which may be had on the Amazon market place, though I think I snagged the last copy the other day, either way, it too is not the best (rather too slow).

The other two recordings are both on BBC Legends and both are very special in their own ways. Both are with the Philharmonia (and at about the same time as the EMI recording), one comes from a 1963 Prom and the other from a Festival Hall concert about 8 months later. The second has a slightly starrier and more international cast - Ligabue, Bumbry, Konya and Arie; the Prom Shuard, Reynolds, Lewis and Ward (but they stand comparison well with each other). Given that these two, and the EMI studio recording, came within about a year of each other you might expect three broadly similar performances. This would be mistaken. Of the two the '64 Festival Hall performance is my favourite: it is a thrilling reading (and significantly swifter). It's qualities are even more firmly underlined on the EMI DVD that exists of the performance. It's only in black and white, but it is very special. I don't normally much enjoy music DVDs, for some reason they don't draw me in in the same way CDs do. But not here. This is exceptional - watching the passion Giulini brings, as he mouths along the words, makes me dearly wish I'd heard him live.

But.......... There is a snag. The earlier Prom is in better sound (it's in stereo). However, both have finer sound than EMI studio recording which features horrible distortion on the loudest moments (mainly in the Dies irae). The Festival Hall is only in mono, but very acceptable mono and while the sound is a little closed in places there isn't the distortion that muddles the musical lines. Oh for the days when the BBC engineers were of this standard... [wistful emoticon]

The Prom is also better filled (coupled with a 1968 Edinburgh festival performance of Schubert's Mass in e flat, D950, while the Festival Hall performance offers only La forza del destino overture and a brief interview with the conductor).

All that said, I don't really think you can go far wrong with any Giulini recording of the Requiem, and of Verdi in general. He seems to me, to have had a particularly special touch with the composer. I've got other works he recorded more than once, and he always had something to say, often surprisingly different. If you can bear the poor sound the recently reissued live ROH Don Carlos is also a must.

regards, Tam

Posted on: 20 July 2007 by Oldnslow

Thanks Tam, I may track down the BBC Legends. I don't recall the distortion issues on the EMI LP, but then again I didn't have Naim equipment way back then...I have the Telarc Robert Shaw, which is actually quite good, though I haven't listened to it in awhile. Attended a wonderful live Reqieum in a church in Rome last year, and that is the first time I had heard it in years. What a great piece.

Posted on: 20 July 2007 by Tam

I wonder if it was less noticeable in the days of LP. It certainly is pretty blatant on my CD issue at the loudest moments the music is blanked out completely. However, I don't have the latest mastering.

I have heard bits of the Shaw, and it seemed quite good. I also have the Bernstein, which is a little odd, not least as the balance is very pronounced - with the singers either totally on the left or right channels respectively). Indeed, I find it bothers me so much when I listen I have to use the mono switch. I used to have Abbado's Berlin recording which has a lot going for it, but in the end, I didn't find myself returning to it very much and gave it away.

The last time I heard it live was in a thrilling festival concert from the BBC Scottish under Donald Runnicles (he placed some of the brass off-stage at times to particularly good effect). Violetta Urmana (the soprano of the day) was absolutely divine. I wish they'd get together and record the work (or that the BBC would release it from the archive).

regards, Tam

Posted on: 20 July 2007 by Oldnslow

I read reviews of the remastered EMI recording and they do mention the improved sound and even mention the distortion in the original that you noted. Quite frankly, if I were to get any Giulini Requiem performances at this point I think I would opt for the mono BBC Legends. What I think I will do is dig out the Shaw Telarc recording and see how it sounds. My interest in Giulini has been peaked by the Bruckner 7th on BBC Legends. I have a lot of recordings of that work, but none are better than the Giulini. I think I may just pick up the Chicago box set, which gives a more expansive view of this conductor, which I have tended to overlook. Thanks for your input, which is very helpful as your obviously think very highly of this conductor and are familiar with a lot of his work. I do wish DG would reissue the VP Bruckner recordings of the 8th and 9th.

Posted on: 20 July 2007 by Tam

The Chicago box and the mono requiem is probably an excellent place to start.

You're right to say I think very highly of him - he's probably one of my absolute favourite conductors, although in some regards rather infuriating, in terms of what repertoire he did and did not cover. For example, he was one of the finer conductors of Mozart's operas, as his recordings of Figaro and Don Giovanni testify, but he never touched Cosi or Zaubeflote. Which, is a great shame. But this is in part because he only performed works which he felt he really fully understood, loved and had something to say about, which meant a lot of things fell by the wayside. I suppose if he'd been the kind of person to do all the things he didn't, the works he did wouldn't have been special in the way they are.

However, what it does mean is that my views do have a degree of bias, and while I can't recall reading too many bad things about him, I'm sure there are plenty less glowing than mine.

I too would love to see the 8th and 9th back out on DG (and all the other fine treasures in their vaults - the La Scala Beethoven symphonies, the Vienna Brahms, as this fine discography, albeit in French, illustrates). You may like to know that there is now a Vienna Bruckner 2 on Testament, but I haven't heard it. Also, if you try the German Amazon, both the 8th and 9th seem to be available there new. So why not here - if anyone from DG is listen, sort this out!

regards, Tam

Posted on: 20 July 2007 by Tam

While I think of it, there's one caveat on the Chicago box. Because they've fitted as much as they have onto 4 discs, it doesn't actually fit and several of the works are split between two discs.

regards, Tam

Posted on: 20 July 2007 by Oldnslow

yes, I noticed the split sides. No big deal. I look forward especially to hearing the Brahms 4th, my favorite Brahms symphony. My referred recording is the Reiner (Chesky), and I also like the more hard driven C.Kleiber on DG.

Posted on: 01 August 2007 by Oldnslow

Tam, thanks for the recommendation for the Giulini EMI Chicago boxed set. It was a real eye-opener and I thoroughly enjoyed every performance. I may also pick up Giulini's Chicago Mahler 9th /Schubert Unfinished on DG, and ordered his Brahms lst (DG Vienna Phil), which I understand is quite an unusual, but interesting performance.

Posted on: 01 August 2007 by Tam

I'm glad you have enjoyed it.

Let me know how you get on with those recordings (I don't have either, though I've been meaning to get the Mahler/Schubert issue). I'm particularly interested in how the Brahms sounds. I have his 1st on BBC Legends with the Philharmonia and it's wonderfully exciting, albeit in mono.

regards, Tam