Choral Masterworks
Posted by: Tam on 30 May 2006
I had initially intended to write about the Verdi Requiem (and, that will still occupy the bulk of this post) but I thought I might try to cast the net a little wider. There is something very special about good choral singing, and good choral singing has marked out some of the finest live music I've ever heard: one of the highlights of a slightly underwhelming Rattle/BPO Beethoven 9 at the proms a few years back was the extraordinary CBSO Chorus and a few weeks back I attended two concerts which had some great singing, the SCO Chorus in Mozart's Requiem and the Edinburgh Choral Union in Elgar's The Kingdom (see the bottom of the page). I am more than tempted to suggest the latter was some of the finest I have ever heard, and the work itself is very special and much underrated. I don't know quite what it is about the sound of an excellent chorus that is so special - I think partly with some of those I've mentioned it is their incredible precision.
My introduction to the Requiem came a few years ago when I picked up the Abbado/Berlin disc. I must say, I think that for the most part with classical works, it is harder to fall in love with something you have only met via a compact disc. This is not a universal truth (I love Britten's Paul Bunyan, many of Bach's keyboard works, and Mahler's 8th without ever having heard them live), but there are many works I have only warmed to after meeting them in the flesh. The Requiem is one such work and I heard it last year at the festival's opening concert. Donald Runnicles did a wonderful job with the BBC Scottish on fine form. The soloist were not perfect, but soprano Violetta Urmana was wonderful. Even the Festival Chorus on good form (which, and apologies if anyone reading this is a member, I do not generally think is of the first rank, and doesn't compare too favourably with other Scottish choruses - mainly because there are too few men and a fair few of those they have are too old. At one point I thought that their problem was they don't perform all year round - but having heard what the Edinburgh Choral Union are capable of, I don't think that can be it). Anyway, it was a wonderful perfromance (full of wonderful touches, such as the off-stage trumpets - which is something, as those who've read my fullsome praise of his Mahler 3 will know, I think Runnicles excels at). The impact of the way the work fades at the end was really quite something. Now, when I meet a work live that hasn't grabbed me on disc, one of two things happens, I return to the disc and fall in love with it too or it totally fails to recapture the magic I felt in the concert hall (or, I suppose, something in between). Sadly, for me the Requiem falls into the latter category, and my computer's failure meant I was unable to tape the broadcast. I struggle to put my finger on exactly why I don't like the Abbado - there is some fine singing and playing but somehow the magic doesn't seem to be there.
As might be expected, Bernstein brings a fire, but again, and, on listening to the two close together, I think I begin to pin down what I dislike (and what was so fine in Edinburgh): I find the sopranos overly, biting, almost seems the right word (though only very occasional for Bernstein). His set does benefit from Domingo, and the LSO play very nicely. However, I have problems with the recording, it's very stereo (too stereo) and, I think would actually play more enjoyably if I flicked the mono switch (and this I will surely try on my next listen).
More promisingly, in Giulini's studio account, we have Schwarzkopf and her voice is wonderful (as one might expect). However, elsewhere, I don't think Giulini has quite the right measure for me (and I would be most interested to hear his two BBC legends accounts). And if it weren't for some serious distortion trouble on the recording..... Whenever it gets very loud (as it does more than a few times in this great work) there is absolutely horrible distortion. Now, I know I have many times advocated historic recordings and said that on a good performance such things don't matter, and when I'm listening to Krauss's '53 Bayreuth ring cycle, or Furtwangler's 40s live recordings I can forgive problems. But this EMI effort isn't live and dates from the mid 60s and, frankly, they ought to have been able to do better. Certainly I have 'loud' recordings of a similar vintage that suffer no such problems. I know Giulini has two other accounts of the work on BBC legends (as well as a more recent DG account) and would be interested to hear how these stack up.
So, what is the point of this thread? Well, most immediately, I am curious to find a recording of the Requiem that really captures its magic adequately, and so suggestions are welcome.
But, as I said at the outset, I want to cast the net slightly wider into a discussion of great choral works (and recordings thereof) in general.
regards, Tam
My introduction to the Requiem came a few years ago when I picked up the Abbado/Berlin disc. I must say, I think that for the most part with classical works, it is harder to fall in love with something you have only met via a compact disc. This is not a universal truth (I love Britten's Paul Bunyan, many of Bach's keyboard works, and Mahler's 8th without ever having heard them live), but there are many works I have only warmed to after meeting them in the flesh. The Requiem is one such work and I heard it last year at the festival's opening concert. Donald Runnicles did a wonderful job with the BBC Scottish on fine form. The soloist were not perfect, but soprano Violetta Urmana was wonderful. Even the Festival Chorus on good form (which, and apologies if anyone reading this is a member, I do not generally think is of the first rank, and doesn't compare too favourably with other Scottish choruses - mainly because there are too few men and a fair few of those they have are too old. At one point I thought that their problem was they don't perform all year round - but having heard what the Edinburgh Choral Union are capable of, I don't think that can be it). Anyway, it was a wonderful perfromance (full of wonderful touches, such as the off-stage trumpets - which is something, as those who've read my fullsome praise of his Mahler 3 will know, I think Runnicles excels at). The impact of the way the work fades at the end was really quite something. Now, when I meet a work live that hasn't grabbed me on disc, one of two things happens, I return to the disc and fall in love with it too or it totally fails to recapture the magic I felt in the concert hall (or, I suppose, something in between). Sadly, for me the Requiem falls into the latter category, and my computer's failure meant I was unable to tape the broadcast. I struggle to put my finger on exactly why I don't like the Abbado - there is some fine singing and playing but somehow the magic doesn't seem to be there.
As might be expected, Bernstein brings a fire, but again, and, on listening to the two close together, I think I begin to pin down what I dislike (and what was so fine in Edinburgh): I find the sopranos overly, biting, almost seems the right word (though only very occasional for Bernstein). His set does benefit from Domingo, and the LSO play very nicely. However, I have problems with the recording, it's very stereo (too stereo) and, I think would actually play more enjoyably if I flicked the mono switch (and this I will surely try on my next listen).
More promisingly, in Giulini's studio account, we have Schwarzkopf and her voice is wonderful (as one might expect). However, elsewhere, I don't think Giulini has quite the right measure for me (and I would be most interested to hear his two BBC legends accounts). And if it weren't for some serious distortion trouble on the recording..... Whenever it gets very loud (as it does more than a few times in this great work) there is absolutely horrible distortion. Now, I know I have many times advocated historic recordings and said that on a good performance such things don't matter, and when I'm listening to Krauss's '53 Bayreuth ring cycle, or Furtwangler's 40s live recordings I can forgive problems. But this EMI effort isn't live and dates from the mid 60s and, frankly, they ought to have been able to do better. Certainly I have 'loud' recordings of a similar vintage that suffer no such problems. I know Giulini has two other accounts of the work on BBC legends (as well as a more recent DG account) and would be interested to hear how these stack up.
So, what is the point of this thread? Well, most immediately, I am curious to find a recording of the Requiem that really captures its magic adequately, and so suggestions are welcome.
But, as I said at the outset, I want to cast the net slightly wider into a discussion of great choral works (and recordings thereof) in general.
regards, Tam
Well, prompted by the breakaway success of this thread [ironic smiley], I thought I would post something by way of an update.
Those with eagle eyes will notice that I have been listen to lots of the Verdi Requiem, discussed at length above, in the last few days. Giulini's stereo account shows intriguing promise in so many places (and Schwarzkopf is wonderful) but it constantly laid low by the poor recording. Which is why the two issues on BBC legends (both with the Philharmonia and chorus, but different soloists) have been playing my mind ever since hearing the studio release. There are two, one from the Festival Hall in 1964 and the other from the Proms the previous year (curiously it is the early proms performance that is stereo and the later in mono). Given my worries on recording quality I had planned to pick up the Proms issue but the other day I spotted the mono account which is also on DVD (courtesy of EMI) at a bargain price and couldn't help myself.
It has been nothing short of revelatory and I don't really know where to start. I suppose that since my main complaint with the earlier recording was its sound, I ought to start there. This is mono, but good mono (think Furtwangler Tristan or there abouts). When quite the studio version is finer but when loud it doesn't break up in the same way. I don't really like going on about recording quality like this (I like to think the performance is all, and as I mentioned above there are many recordings that suffer terribly that I love), but I think what bugged me about the studio recording was that there was no good reason for its being so bad - and that the badness occurred universally with volume made for frustrating listening. The way the musical lines broke up and were utterly indistinguishable during the louder moments was a problem. Now, this recording is remarkably good, the sounds of the instruments are fine and the voices superb and while things sound a little closed at high volumes it doesn't irritate at all (and, in fact, I only notice it because I'm listening for it).
But enough of that prattle: the music. Well, in a moment. I'm going to talk a little about the video first. There are basically 3 shots - big wide audience eye view shots (of the kind I really like), close ups of the soloists and close ups of the conductor (there are also some orchestra close ups, but these tend to be no closer than a sectional view, rather than the fingerwork one gets on some videos which is too much). The lion's share goes to Giulini. Now, very often this would irritate but here it delights. In every frame Giulini conveys his immense love for this works, in his movements and the way he mouths along to the words. Having never had the opportunity to see/hear Giulini in the flesh this has been one of the real joys of this DVD.
The other is the music. I don't know any of the soloists (soprano Ilva Ligabue, mezzo Grace Bumbry, tenor Sandor Konya and bass Raffaele Arie) but they all sing very well. I want to say Giulini directs this to perfection, but that seems to be skirting round actually describing it. He doesn't seem to use off stage trumpets in the Dies irae as did Runnicles but the way he commands his orchestra the balance is perfect. At the end the music fades out to perfection. In short, I have found a recording of this great work I can love. A recording that seems to have every ounce the magic of that fine concert hall performance of last summer. I cannot recommend this disc highly enough (even to those who are wary of DVDs - I sometimes find concert DVDs don't really engage but this one holds one's attention completely - it is a treasure of the Beeb's archives).
All of which only makes me more curios to hear the Proms account, and you can rest assured I will be picking up that disc shortly too.
regards, Tam
Those with eagle eyes will notice that I have been listen to lots of the Verdi Requiem, discussed at length above, in the last few days. Giulini's stereo account shows intriguing promise in so many places (and Schwarzkopf is wonderful) but it constantly laid low by the poor recording. Which is why the two issues on BBC legends (both with the Philharmonia and chorus, but different soloists) have been playing my mind ever since hearing the studio release. There are two, one from the Festival Hall in 1964 and the other from the Proms the previous year (curiously it is the early proms performance that is stereo and the later in mono). Given my worries on recording quality I had planned to pick up the Proms issue but the other day I spotted the mono account which is also on DVD (courtesy of EMI) at a bargain price and couldn't help myself.
It has been nothing short of revelatory and I don't really know where to start. I suppose that since my main complaint with the earlier recording was its sound, I ought to start there. This is mono, but good mono (think Furtwangler Tristan or there abouts). When quite the studio version is finer but when loud it doesn't break up in the same way. I don't really like going on about recording quality like this (I like to think the performance is all, and as I mentioned above there are many recordings that suffer terribly that I love), but I think what bugged me about the studio recording was that there was no good reason for its being so bad - and that the badness occurred universally with volume made for frustrating listening. The way the musical lines broke up and were utterly indistinguishable during the louder moments was a problem. Now, this recording is remarkably good, the sounds of the instruments are fine and the voices superb and while things sound a little closed at high volumes it doesn't irritate at all (and, in fact, I only notice it because I'm listening for it).
But enough of that prattle: the music. Well, in a moment. I'm going to talk a little about the video first. There are basically 3 shots - big wide audience eye view shots (of the kind I really like), close ups of the soloists and close ups of the conductor (there are also some orchestra close ups, but these tend to be no closer than a sectional view, rather than the fingerwork one gets on some videos which is too much). The lion's share goes to Giulini. Now, very often this would irritate but here it delights. In every frame Giulini conveys his immense love for this works, in his movements and the way he mouths along to the words. Having never had the opportunity to see/hear Giulini in the flesh this has been one of the real joys of this DVD.
The other is the music. I don't know any of the soloists (soprano Ilva Ligabue, mezzo Grace Bumbry, tenor Sandor Konya and bass Raffaele Arie) but they all sing very well. I want to say Giulini directs this to perfection, but that seems to be skirting round actually describing it. He doesn't seem to use off stage trumpets in the Dies irae as did Runnicles but the way he commands his orchestra the balance is perfect. At the end the music fades out to perfection. In short, I have found a recording of this great work I can love. A recording that seems to have every ounce the magic of that fine concert hall performance of last summer. I cannot recommend this disc highly enough (even to those who are wary of DVDs - I sometimes find concert DVDs don't really engage but this one holds one's attention completely - it is a treasure of the Beeb's archives).
All of which only makes me more curios to hear the Proms account, and you can rest assured I will be picking up that disc shortly too.
regards, Tam